Fade In: Music from Twilight Zone

It's official. I'm a little weirded out. Okay, maybe weirded out is a little strong way of putting it, but I am definitely in unknown territory. In many ways.

1. Tonight Cassie is at a birthday party and sleepover at one of her friend's houses. The girl is in her class and they've done a few things together now and are quite good friends. There are 2 other girls spending the night and they are all having a super time (At least when I went to help Cassie get ready for bed a little earlier they were). This all seems completely normal you say? Well sure. Except for the fact that the girl's dad where Cassie is staying happens to have been one of my teachers in middle school. I know...you are a little weirded out too, aren't you? When you are in school you are at one level and the teacher is at a completely different level. And now somehow we are at the same level and I'm confused. I don't know that I can call him by his first name as I know him as Mr Smith. (Note: his real last name isn't Smith) And in school teachers are an authority figure and you get used to that. And then you grow up and have kids in the same class and all of a sudden you are thrown in to, what to me feels like, the twilight zone. I just keep smiling and playing the song 'It's a small world after all' in my head.

2. In other news...Kalli is growing up. I know, you knew this already but this is in new and different ways. (Disclaimer: I am sharing this little story because I think that it was SUPER cute. I would like it if no one would say anything about this to Kalli because I don't mean to embarrass her at all or make her hold info back from me)

Thursday she had a field trip and at the end of the trip we were gathering things together to head to bus. One little boy (who we will call T) asked if she would sit with him on bus. She said sure. Then another little boy (who we will call C) comes and says he wants to sit with her too. She shrugs and says sure. On the way out to bus I'm following behind and T takes Kalli's hand in his and they hold hands all the way to the waiting bus. Once there T lets Kalli get on first and then follows, putting his hand on her back like he is guiding her to the seat. Say it with me...Aaaawwwwwwww! And from being in the classroom so much I can confirm that T is a well behaved boy. The other boy, C, joins them on the bus and Kalli ends up sitting on the outside of the seat. I told Kalli to hold on when the bus turns (she has an issue with keeping her butt on the seat when riding buses) C hears this, stands up and offers to switch seats with Kalli to keep her in the seat. He moves to the outside and keeps her safe til we are back at school. I will also mention that during the tour part of the field trip, Kalli couldn't see at one point and C lifted Kalli up some so that she could see better.

For dinner that night we went out and I told Kalli that I was going to tell Andy about things because I thought that they were very nice and cute, but that I didn't mean to embarrass her at all. I told him the entire story and the look on his face almost said he was calculating when to buy the shotgun to hang over the door. Kalli then informs us that she likes T and that she thinks that she might marry him. But that they won't start dating until High School. This is where I bit my tongue and smiled before biting into my sandwich and looking to see if all the blood had drained from Andy's face yet.

We are fortunate though as several of the boys in Kalli's class seem to be quite polite and well mannered. When Andy was in the class towards the end of the day Thursday (having come back from a field trip with Cassie) one of the boys (E) came up and asked Andy if he was Kalli's dad. When Andy said yes, E held out his hand and said "It's nice to meet you."

Nice to meet you? holding a girl's hand and letting her get on the bus first, gently guiding her with hand on back? switching seats so that girl is more comfortable and safe? Who are these boys and where are they getting their lessons? I am hoping that it just shows that they have some awesome male figures in their lives that are teaching them that chivalry isn't dead and to put others first.

In the meantime, I'm feeling very lost and like my girls are growing up a little too quickly.

Cassie had her physical today and we talked about all the changes that she has been going through. I found out that there is no pill to give kids to keep them younger or to stop the teenage-ist angst that has already begun. I also learned that the darn kid is only 11 inches shorter then me. When did that happen??? Lately I find myself looking at her a lot and wondering when it is that she grew up. I mean really grew up. She is looking less like a kid and more like a young adult. Her features are changing. Becoming more feminine and softening. Her emotions are changing a lot too. She is requesting more time with me...mostly just cuddling and talking about nothing at all. I'm not sure that I'm ready for this next phase with her (not that I ever would be ready for it) but I'm hoping that our relationship is strong enough to keep from strangling each other and that the time I've spent teaching her to be silly, relax, and laugh will keep us laughing when we want to cry.

I'm also still looking for that pill that will keep her little.