my 4th girlie

this girl.  and my girl.  they make my heart happy.

 i have to write about this now, because i don't think that my heart can handle it two weeks out.  i just can't.

but these two were in a 2nd/3rd split class three years ago and they have been besties ever since.  i wish i could accurately describe their friendship to you, but i am not sure i even know where to begin.  they are two peas in one pod...  a sometimes strange pod...  (giggle)...  but one pod.

they play games with these imaginary hand puppets that they call "bear" and "jaguar" and use these voices to talk to each other through above mentioned characters.  it is adorable, slightly annoying and incredibly creative.  they build houses for their american girl dolls out of recyclables and take over the better portion of available floor space in their bedrooms with said materials.  they don't like dresses, or pink, or fashion, or anything that is "too girly".

about a year ago, i offered them each a blank book that i had left over from my mother's group.  they happily took them and put their heads together as to how to make the best use of them.  it didn't take long for them to begin journaling together.  often, they can be found sitting on e's bed with their books in hand, writing stories together, or creating pictorials of the happenings of their day.  i mean really, when two besties engage in collaborative story writing???  how does a momma not LOVE that?  (she does!)

they adopt one another's "likes" and if it is too far of a stretch to turn their besties likes into personal faves, they develop a respect for it at the very least.  they "like" bacon, taylor swift, making green screen stop motion movies, swimming, perusing items to buy (when they have enough $) on ebay, surfing, bethany hamilton, their dads, bunnies, mermaids, and frozen yogurt.

they went through a fairy hunting phase, a gymnastics practice phase, a moshi-monster phase, a movie star planet craze, and various other extensions of play.  when they are together e's happiest of happy emerges.  her smile is bigger.  her eyes are brighter and her confidence is maximized.  they giggle together.  they problem solve together.  hand in hand, they are sorting out friendships, personal challenges, growing from littles into bigs, boys (gasp), and every other aspect of this crazy thing called life.

watching it has been precious.

they are the type of girls that don't need (or really want) to be part of the big clique.  they are a 1:1 sort of peep - as long as they have each other they are perfectly fine.  and while this has had its challenges (being in different grades and all), it is truly what they prefer.  they try to venture out, and each of them does have friendships outside of one another, but together is how they long to be.

and next year that reality will change.  norah will go off to middle school and e will stay where she is now.  i miss seeing them walk out of school together each day already.  and yet this is a very real part of growing up.  i know they will remain dear friends, but my heart hurts as i anticipate the change that they are about to go through.  and at the same time, i feel a peace and calm knowing that they will help each other navigate this transition.  while it sort of feels "bad" knowing how hard it could be on them, it also feels very good that they will be by one another's side as they grow wings.  i know they will both grow wings.  i know that their friendship will change a bit.  and i believe it will be good for both of them to learn to navigate life separately just as much as it has been good for them to navigate life together.

and even as i write this, i anticipate standing on the other side of the door listening to them on a future sleepover as they discuss their new school years and describe their school situations to one another.

but that is a few months down the road...  for now, i will rest in summer and playdates (hang time as they call it...  littles growing into bigs...  changing their vernacular to suit their maturity) and sleepovers and ice cream and just watching them be besties together.

...i will watch them skip off to the car hand in hand to go to the pool with norah's mother and smile because i know that together they are in their happy place.  and what more could a mother want for her eldest girlie?