Not for the children

Spoiler alert:  make sure no one under their teen years is reading over your shoulder

Updates of the last few months?  Nah, I will just go with what is in my heart and on my mind, so prepare for the random.

- I rest my hands on my 40 week pregnant belly as I write and cherish the last few day or hours of protecting and growing my 3rd baby under my heart, within my own body, as I feel her stretch and roll.

-I cherish watching my oldest grow in her independence as she starts 3rd grade...  How could that be already??

- Our 2nd child is going to struggle with new baby.  She is blossoming in her language and independence.  She may be the Tomboy Daddy hopes for. She is also amazingly empathetic, patting my check and asking if I am ok.

My big asked me flat out for the truth about Christmas presents and Easter eggs. My heart broke as I dodged the question.  I was not ready.  I talked with the daddy late that night about how to handle this.  I won't lie to my children.  She asked SPECIFICALLY for me to tell the truth, as her friends at school were talking about it... We didn't think "what do you think" would cut it this time.  I didn't want her to be humiliated in front of her friends if she insisted, and then found out she was wrong. So, when we were alone, I brought it up, tried not to panic (or cry) and told her the truth.  She was quiet. And a little sad, I think.  I swore her into the Helpers club, made her raise her right hand and made her a full- fledged member of the helpers, and to keeping the secret - she promised never to tell the truth to anyone but her own children when she was the mommy - not sisters, cousins, friends.  We even rehearsed appropriate responses if one of them asks her.  She asked who else was in the club, And I said, you never know, so you can't talk about it... But told her mommy and daddy for sure... So she asked how I found out... And told her my mom was in the club too.  So, we pulled into the drive, got out with both our hearts a little broken, but proud of my growing-up girl.  And she rushed in to pull her dad aside to tell him she was in the club, while I pulled grandma aside to warn her...

We discussed that she learned three things:
1.   the answer to her question
2.  That I will always tell her the truth
3.   That you be sure you want the answer before you ask the question.   She kinda laughed... And said "I am so not asking about the tooth fairy for a few years!"

The timing - my big is maturing so quickly as my littlest is waiting to be born...Sigh.

Love,
Me