Growing up...its complicated

The past week Marielle has begun talking incessantly about when she grows up....

"When I grow up to be a mommy, I can sit in the front seat, JUST LIKE YOU, MOMMY!"

"When I grow up to be a woman, I can walk down the aisle in a wedding dress!"

"When I grow up to be a baby, I can sleep in a crib whenever I want."

(You might infer here what is the constant conflict in this girl's heart--do I want to be an independent big-girl, or a baby who gets cuddled by mommy all the time. We are straddling that line on any given day.)

"When I grow up to be a woman, I can get married. The sun will be beautiful and I will walk down the aisle, and it won't be scary!"

"When I grow up to be a woman, I can wear lacing beads like a necklace whenever I want!"

"A brown tree grows up to be a purple tree! And then I'll climb up the tree to the top with my markers, color the tree, and fly away in a helpicopter!" . . . This is no joke here, friends. Either this girl has an imagination, or her father is telling her some crazy bed-time stories (both very likely).

But the real highlight of the week was when our neighbor told Marielle in her very neighborly southern-drawl,"My, what a big girl you're becoming!"; to which Marielle promptly answered in a solemn whisper, "I'm growing up to be a woman." It was all I could do to not blush, and promise said-neighbor that this was not something that we were emphasizing at home. :-)