When She Grows Up

It's been so hard to concentrate on anything the past few days - my mind and heart and prayers are just constantly with MckMama and baby Stellan, and as of yesterday also with my friend Shannon and her son Sloan, who is in the PICU at our children's hospital here with encephalitis and meningities and has lost most of his motor skills. Their stories have brought back all these memories of when my babies were very sick, and I pray that both of these mamas find the kind of comfort only God can provide at a time like this.

I haven't been sleeping much, partly because I literally wake up to pray without meaning to, and also because the girls have been diligently taking turns waking up, to ensure that there is no more than an hour stretch of uninterrupted sleep in our house.

We're getting ready to head off into the country tomorrow morning, to visit my in laws... that means no posts from me (I'll brave dial-up to check on Stellan, but that's about it!) BUT when I get back, I have a post-UBP post to post (ha!) I've met some great new bloggers out there, and it's been a blast!

Lately, Sophia has been focused on the distant future - her wedding cake (see preview below) and also career choices...

I remember when I was a girl, I wanted to be a teacher and a doctor and a ballerina, on the side. I wanted to be a wife and mother too. Apparently when you're five or six years old, you're not intimidated by the fact that there are only 24 hours in a day... I had it all planned out - I would go to school and teach in the morning, then I would go to my doctor's office and take care of patients in the afternoon, and once or twice a month I could give a ballet recital on the weekend.

Some of you who know me IRL have heard this crushing story of the first time Sophia and I discussed what she would be (driving to gymnastics one afternoon):

Sophia: I see the moon! Can you touch the moon?
Me: Well, no, it's really far away, in space. Astronauts can get to the moon in a space ship. So if they fly to the moon, they can touch it, but we can't.
Sophia: I want to go to the moon.
Me: Well, when you grow up, if you want, you could be an astronaut for your job, then you could fly in space ships.
Sophia: Yeah... then I could have my own children, so I could leave them at home while I go work on the moon.

Ouch! That stung.

By the way, I would love nothing more than for her to be a stay at home mom, and I've always included that on my list of potential careers when she asks. I think it's the most important job in the world, and I hope some day (when student loans and medical bills are paid off) I might get the privilege to do it part-time :)

Anyway, yesterday we were in the car and Sophia asked me what kind of job she could have when she grows up. I asked her what kind of job she wanted.

First she told me that she wants to be a mailman, because then she could go to all of her friends' houses to deliver letters. And she could travel all over the world, delivering mail to people wherever letters were being sent.

I told her that sounded like a great plan.

Then she told me she also wanted to be a doctor, so she could take care of people. She really wanted to be a doctor like Dr. Johnson (her awesome pediatrician and a worthy role model!) Except she would never give shots.

I told her that sounded like a great plan too.

Then she asked me if maybe she could be a mailman AND a doctor, and I told her of course!

As much as I hate the thought of her getting even a day older, sometimes I love to daydream about what life has in store for her.

I do hope she follows her artistic tendencies at least on some level... she is, in my humble maternal opinion, as awesome artist. Plus she loves her "projects" more than anything, and whatever she does in life, I hope it's something that brings her joy.

making valentines puzzles for her class