Little Lady and Me

Little Lady and me are friends. Buddies. Sometimes we argue, yes. Sometimes she can be stubborn and I can be bossy and voices are raised, but mostly we get along beautifully.

She likes to decide what she is wearing each day, and in fact a lot of our stubborn/bossy scenarios are related to the clothes she wants to wear/refuses to wear. She often chooses inappropriately for the weather and /or situation (insisting on walking the school run in a bikini, for example). She often changes outfits three or more times a day, leaving discarded clothes all over the house. The above outfit is one of my faves and I love it when she chooses to wear it.

Little Lady has a thing about shoes, and it started when she was small. When she was one year old I recall an incident when she stole a shoe from Debenhams and we only discovered it much later on when I spotted her sitting innocently in her pushchair chewing away on the stiletto heel (she was teething bless her)

So it's no surprise then that shoes feature heavily in day to day role playing around here. Little Lady has her own sizable selection of shoes, but Mummy's shoes are always fascinating.

(LL, pleading) "Mummy, can I try on your new white sandals? Pleeeeease?"
(Me, resigned) "Ok then, but go careful"
(LL, thrilled) "Oh Thanks Mummy, you're the best Mummy ever and I definitely wouldn't want to take you back to the shop and swap you for another Mummy."
(Me, amused/relieved) "Oh good, I'm glad to hear it! Incidentally, which shop do you go to when you want to swap Mummies over?
(LL, matter-of-fact) "Marks and Spencer"

Sometime later and my sandals are ditched in favour of purple high heeled Barbie shoes. I think she is frequently disappointed that I don't wear high heels to be honest.

She asks me to sit on the front step with her, for no apparent reason other than to look at our feet together. We pass the time of day, then she asks if we could have tea please. Outdoors, sitting on the front step.
Tea for two on the front step then, a mid afternoon rest after the business of shoes. Perhaps an oaty star too please Mummy?

I do love accommodating my Little People when the requests are as simple as this. I love being invited to share time doing uncomplicated things.  I try and trap the memories as I am so aware of how fleeting they are.
She starts school in September, this little buddy of mine. Six wonderful years of coffee mornings, baby groups, toddler groups and pre-school activities and friendships, and  they are coming to an end. I feel mixed emotions :: a combination of optimism and loss, a feeling of liberation combined with an undercurrent of panic and sadness. Mind you, I've got the summer holidays to get through first, I'll probably be hugely relieved to see September on my calendar by then. Probably, but not necessarily. 

Comments

[Erica]

Lucy, since you linked back to this post in today's post (9/20/10), I just had to write about it. My own Little Lady turned six over the summer, and is now in first grade. Your description of what it's like to be mother to a daughter was so like my own feelings. We clash a bit, me and my girl, because we are both hot-headed Leo women, and we both KNOW our minds, and what we want. Not always the same thing, whether it's how to spend the afternoon, or what we'll be eating for lunch, etc. She is my buddy too, and I hope this will continue for some years to come, and that the years will not arrive TOO soon, when she sits in judgment upon me for not being perfect, or whatever she thinks a mother ought to be. It seems women can be harsher critics (silently or outspoken) their own mothers than anyone else (I am guilty of this myself - the silent kind, at least).

Anyway - I read you all the time but seldom comment. Since this was an older post without many comments yet, I thought I'd say HELLO. :-) Thanks, as always, for sharing with us.

Erica

[Catherine Maudsley]

What a lovely post - make the most of those few weeks left when you have little company. It flies so fast doesn't it - you had me remembering those days...........

[Anna]

your little lady is a star in the making. Or an Imelda Marcos...! Love the matching nail varnish too.x

[Molly]

Your post made me tear up because my youngest ones (twins) are turning 6 on Friday and heading to school this fall, and I've got the mixed feelings too. Yes, gone are the days of playgroups and library storytimes. But yes, summertime is still here and there are many wonderful days ahead.

You and I really do lead parallel lives!

[simone]

You have a very 'grown up' little lady there. My boy started infant school a couple of weeks after his fourth birthday. He looked too tiny for school in his little uniform. I love your metallic toes by the way!

[driftwood]

looks like a lovely day, perfect memories!

[ally]

Enjoy those precious moments. There is nothing sweeter than sharing a cup of tea on the step.

[Ali]

I'll be an empty nester come September too. Odd, isn't it.

And good to know that the M&S exchange policy extends to undesirable parents too.

[kathy]

A little girl after my own old heart...love shoes too! My boys are 8 and 10 and wow those years speed by. I would do anything just to have a few of those tiny pre-school minutes back; to enjoy those moments. Enjoy whilst it lasts. Kathyx

[Alice]

That is such a lovely top. For a second there, I thought you had just bought a plain white top & sewn everything else on to it (did you? lol). Hmm, whenever it's just me & L going to the shops at weekends, she always makes me try on high heels -- "go on, Mummy, try this one..... pleeeease" -- and it's always the really shiny (gold/silver/colourful) high ones. I usually try on 4-5 shoes (luckily, I only have to try on that "one side" lol) and then I tell her that I've had enough lol (I don't wear heels either).

[julia]

You've just summed up exactly how I feel about my baby going to school. After 8 years of pre-school activities and the freedom that entails I have very mixed emotions about my last little person going off into the big wide school world. More than anything I will really, really miss having her around to chat to on our own, and all the cuddles, hairbrushing and giggling we've done together. 4 years have really whizzed by so I'm trying to commit to memory all the special moments until September.
Julia x
ps. Love the heels. I never wear them either, always feel a bit like a man in drag because of the way I walk in them!

[Rebekah]

that little dress is so adorable! dressing girls must be a lot more fun than dressing boys...fights and all : )