Baseballs and Butterflies
"What do you want to be when you grow up, Olivia?" I asked my 2.5 yr. old daughter last week. Smiling, she replied, "A baseball." I paused, waiting for the word "player" to come out of her mouth next, but when it didn't I asked, "You mean you want to be a baseball player when you grow up?" "No, mommy," she said forcefully, "I want to be a baseball when I grow up." Barely able to keep from laughing I said, "Well Olivia, you will make one awesome baseball." She smiled, very satisfied and added, "And you will be a butterfly when you grow up, Mommy."
Of all of the things that Olivia and I do together -- tea parties, dress-up, painting, reading, bubble blowing, block towers, puzzles -- my favorite thing is to just sit down on the floor and talk to her. Olivia was an early talker and has quite the vocabulary. And I am continually amazed and astonished at the insights and thoughts she shares with me.
Yesterday, Dr. Olivia and Nurse Mommy were playing hospital with all of her stuffed animals. Dr. Olivia asked me to get the thermometer out of the medicine chest. With an air of urgency she placed it in the mouth of Tanny the Dog before proclaiming that Tanny was sick with a fever of 72.5 and the croup.
In the most Marlo Thomas-Free-To-Be-You-and-Me voice I could muster I said, "Olivia, you can be anything you want to be when you grow up, even a doctor." She stood up, put her hands on her hips and said emphatically, "No Mommy, I will be a baseball when I grow up. And you will be a butterfly."
I smiled and said, "Olivia honey, I don't know what either of us will be when we grow up, but I do know that I will still be your Mommy." Giggling, she put her little arms around my neck and said, "Good."
Of all of the things that Olivia and I do together -- tea parties, dress-up, painting, reading, bubble blowing, block towers, puzzles -- my favorite thing is to just sit down on the floor and talk to her. Olivia was an early talker and has quite the vocabulary. And I am continually amazed and astonished at the insights and thoughts she shares with me.
Yesterday, Dr. Olivia and Nurse Mommy were playing hospital with all of her stuffed animals. Dr. Olivia asked me to get the thermometer out of the medicine chest. With an air of urgency she placed it in the mouth of Tanny the Dog before proclaiming that Tanny was sick with a fever of 72.5 and the croup.
In the most Marlo Thomas-Free-To-Be-You-and-Me voice I could muster I said, "Olivia, you can be anything you want to be when you grow up, even a doctor." She stood up, put her hands on her hips and said emphatically, "No Mommy, I will be a baseball when I grow up. And you will be a butterfly."
I smiled and said, "Olivia honey, I don't know what either of us will be when we grow up, but I do know that I will still be your Mommy." Giggling, she put her little arms around my neck and said, "Good."
Posted By Stacey 12:03 PM
19 Comments:
Stace -- I'm a professional writer -- trust me when I say you need to send this piece to a woman's magazine. It's just beautiful.
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Girlfriend - what is up with your blog? Are you leaving us for good?
AMM: Awww, it's so good to see that someone still reads me. Here's the deal -- I learned this morning that someone from my "real life" possibly discovered my blog. And I truly prefer to stay anonymous. So I pulled all my posts back to draft. I really want to keep posting. I am not gone yet! I just want to wait and watch my stats and see if I think my identity has been revealed. If not, I will be back.
I'm glad I checked back here and got to read this nugget from the past! What a way to warm my heart! Hopefully you'll keep writing.
I totally get that!!! Don't blame you for trying to save your anonymity.
Stacey, that's a beautiful story! My English name is also Olivia. And I like that she wants to be a baseball and you'll be a butterfly.
That's lovely.
Come back to bed. I am tired.
While 'tis sad that all your writing has disappeared, you must always do what's best for you.
Hopefully, it'll just be a scare. KIT! :)
~ Ezzie
Raggedy: Thanks! I really hope to keep writing. I miss it!!
AMM: Thanks for understanding. I will be back soon in some form or another!
Chana: Another Olivia? How awesome. Such a beautiful name. I love your Belle avatar. She is my favorite of all of the princesses, because she saw the beauty within.
Ezzie: I just pulled everything back in draft status. I hope it truly is a scare. I'm gonna go check my stats now and see! Hope you've been well.
That's a really sweet story.
My 4 year girl old wants to be a princess. Or a cop. Or a firefighter. Or God. In that order.
But none of that will happen until after she's 15, and gets to be a mommy.
They have to have goals, don't they?
will you ever blog again.
i hope your kid doesn't become as shallow as you
Come here and sit on my lap.
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This is one of the most heartwarming posts I have ever read. I hope Olivia grows up to be a baseball. I hope you grow up to be a butterfly.
This is Joshua from Israeli Uncensored News
cleaning for the cleaning lady - totally me! well its more organising the house than cleaning it. Vancouver Carpet Cleaning I can never find anything after she has been. So I get that. How long does it take for the house to get destroyed after teh cleaning team has been? the sparling house doesnt last long over here.....
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