*RollerGirl*

I am entering a new phase in Mommyhood-

I'm feeling scared, excited, proud and anxious all at the same time as my little baby girl is growing up and doing more and more things on her own. I love seeing her develop interests in different activities and forging her own way to learning. Sometimes I want to put her in a bubble and protect her from ever getting hurt but at the same time I know that experience is the best teacher. 

My mother says that Lola is very, very like I was as a child. My parents often joke and call her "Chip" (as in off the old block). I know that as many times as my parents would warm me about something, I would always need to have that experience myself. So I am trying not to hover and let her learn her way around. 

So what do I do to make sure I am feeling as safe as possible??

I got Lola bubble gum pink Barbie roller skates.

My Mom got her the Disney Princess protection gear:

Knee guards, elbow guards, padded gloves, helmet. 

After a couple weeks of being sick, she is finally back to normal and it was such a pleasure to give these presents to her yesterday. She is overjoyed...and spent a lot of time "skating" falling, thrashing, spasmodically moving in the comfort of my parents heated garage. She spent most of her time getting a feel for the wheels and trying to figure it all out. I refused to let go of her hands (how's that for not hovering??) and my Mom had a death grip on her entire upper body. 

But Lola is smart--and she is stubborn. (hmmm, much like Mommy???)

We are very much in a stage of "I can do it ALL.BY.MYSELF!"

So, after swimming lessons this morning, it was time to take the skates out and practice some more 

We have progressed from "looks like an epileptic seizure" to "look Mom, I'm doing it".

Yup, my little girl is roller skating around the house all by herself.

And falling down. ALL BY HERSELF.

and on purpose.

She discovered that while skating around the kitchen she could see her reflection in the door of the oven. She then began this dramatic series of falls, one louder than the next. When I expressed concern about her being injured her reply was "Mommy, that's why I have a helmet and these knee pads". Trying to tell her that that the protective gear would not guarantee an injury-free skate was beyond her...plus she did not want to hear it. She just went about her flip-floppin' ways and then got back up to skate. After about an hour of skating, she had enough and was moving onto the next adventure. 

A couple hours later, she grabbed her blanket and headed for her favorite spot on the couch. She stripped off her clothes and asked for a "hot bubba" (warm milk in a bottle) cuddled all up.There she is, smiling at me with those cherubic cheeks and mischievous eyes-all the while reminding me that she is still my little baby girl. I'm thinking: Sure enough! She's spent and ready to take a nap.

After the bottle was done, she sprung up and ran across the house to her room. Out came all the roller skating gear and there she was in all her glory! Wearing nothing but her pink panties with lollipops on them, knee pads, elbow pads, gloves and helmet, roller skating across the house.

All I could think of was RollerGirl from THAT movie.

and it was right then and there that I stopped

and 

I prayed that she never grew up!!