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Fashion by Mayhem

from paper dresses to parenting a teen

Growing Pains

Posted on September 21, 2017 By Angie Keiser

It’s official, she’s a giant. She’s outgrown her entire wardrobe and now I don’t know what to do. I bought these bathing suits for her five months ago and now she can’t put them on without them giving her an extreme wedgie. Side note: this is why the two piece suits are good – getting taller does not necessarily translate to instant wedgie.

I suppose I shouldn’t complain. She’s closing in on eight years old and she’s been wearing a size six for a solid year.

It’s just kind of shocking.

There are two large shopping bags hiding in the back corner of my closet. And I have an almost daily argument with Mayhem about leaving them alone. She insists she can still wear many of the items, while I argue that regular tops are not meant to simply evolve into crop tops. The logical me knows that I should simply drop off the old clothes at one of the local donation centers. It would be the quickest way to end the daily struggle. But it’s pretty obvious that sentimental me is driving the bus, while logical me is somewhere in the back.

Let’s face it though, it’s not about the clothes. It’s me trying to wrap my brain around this ‘new’ not-so-little person and who she’s becoming.

She used to need me for stuff, and while she still needs me, it’s less and less everyday.

Now, she reads to herself. Like, actual chapter books. And sometimes, I just sit and watch her. Logical me would be happy dancing my way to the couch to read a book of my own choosing, but sentimental me sits there and stares.

She’s evolving, and I love it. But I hate it too.

She’s hitting slices and drop shots and learning when to hit down the line in tennis. She’s sitting at her desk, crayons at hand, creating the most amazing drawings. She’s measuring, cutting and sewing an apron, without a pattern. She’s in the garage making batch after batch after batch of glittery slime.

All without my help.

And I watch and wonder. Where do I go from here? For the past (nearly) eight years, I’ve been Mayhem’s mama. She was my sidekick and I was hers. I know I’m still her mama, but all of the sudden, I feel lost.

If you need me, I’ll be in that dark corner of my closet, burying my head in those shopping bags, breathing in the smell of the past eight years.

Evolution, man.

Parenting parenting

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Comments (3)

  1. Robin says:
    October 1, 2017 at 10:58 AM

    Oh mama I love this!!! My daughter just turned five and I feel the tides shifting it’s such a different feeling. I feel myself wanting to just hold her and soak her all in. Her littleness is gone and I know before I know it she will be reading chapter books on the couch. It’s a I love to see how she’s growing feeling that moves to heartache in knowing the time passes way too fast.

    Reply
  2. Kinbrielle says:
    October 8, 2017 at 11:12 PM

    I’m gonna throw out my idea from a couple years ago cuz I still like it: let’s clone her so we can all have one and you can have another! haha

    Reply
  3. Carol says:
    October 9, 2017 at 5:02 PM

    I love watching her grow up. It reminds me of what it was like what it was like when mine were little. (One is 36 and the other is 24.) You never get over wanting to mother them. The hardest thing is to let them do it on their own, but watching them succeed is well worth it!

    Reply

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About Me

Hi, I'm Angie. Mom to Sydney (currently age 15,) known to the online world as Mayhem. Formerly that paper dress mother/daughter duo. Currently living in the south, and enjoying every second of this season "mom-ing" this incredible teenage human.

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