Mind blowing
First of all, it's mind-blowing to me that I have a seven-year-old child. How on *earth* did that happen? And how can I look at that tiny little person, with her tiny little hands, and baby dimples still on the knuckles ... who still curls up in my lap and lays her head on my chest ... who still has the tiniest, young little baby voice ... and accept that she's seven and heading to second grade? That she had her first sleepover last night - complete with make-overs and a fashion show and loud music and dancing and junk food while watching late-night movies with her girlfriends. How can that be possible? It is beyond me to even comprehend.
Today, she insisted on a trip to Toys R Us to spend her birthday money. There, she pulled her purse off her shoulder, opened up her wallet, and paid for her little stuffed dog on her own. This tiny little person acting as if she were 30. It has blown my mind, that's for sure.
The next mind-blowing moment of the day came as we ended our afternoon tour of homes. I saw that the local builders were having a massive tour of homes around this area today. We hit up a few nearby - a couple of half-a-million dollar homes. Very nice. Very impressive. And bear in mind that in this day and age in this (very cheap to live in) state, a half-million dollar home is a sweet little pad. As we saw that we were running out of time, we decided to finish up by hitting the biggest, baddest, most expensive house on the tour. A modest little 10,000 sq. ft. home on the market for 2.5 million. Oh ... my ... god. I have never seen anything like it. Words cannot even begin to describe this house and its furnishings. The 1000 sq ft. theater on the second floor was larger than our home was when we bought it. Every item in the house had a price tag on it - all the way down to the $95 soap dispense on the bathroom counter. Unfreakinbelievable. I cannot even comprehend what it must be like to live in such a place. As I stood out on the back patio - between the outdoor kitchen and the outdoor dining room, gazing at the stunning pool and hot tub - I saw four young boys playing in the backyard next door. They were bouncing back and forth between swimming in the pool and fishing off the back dock into the pond. They looked to be about Connor's age. I thought, "Do they even know? ... Do they even have *any* clue what sort of life they're leading? Do they know that there's a near 40-year-old woman watching them and wondering what it must be like to live their life?" Envy. It's a terrible thing, y'all.
Today, she insisted on a trip to Toys R Us to spend her birthday money. There, she pulled her purse off her shoulder, opened up her wallet, and paid for her little stuffed dog on her own. This tiny little person acting as if she were 30. It has blown my mind, that's for sure.
The next mind-blowing moment of the day came as we ended our afternoon tour of homes. I saw that the local builders were having a massive tour of homes around this area today. We hit up a few nearby - a couple of half-a-million dollar homes. Very nice. Very impressive. And bear in mind that in this day and age in this (very cheap to live in) state, a half-million dollar home is a sweet little pad. As we saw that we were running out of time, we decided to finish up by hitting the biggest, baddest, most expensive house on the tour. A modest little 10,000 sq. ft. home on the market for 2.5 million. Oh ... my ... god. I have never seen anything like it. Words cannot even begin to describe this house and its furnishings. The 1000 sq ft. theater on the second floor was larger than our home was when we bought it. Every item in the house had a price tag on it - all the way down to the $95 soap dispense on the bathroom counter. Unfreakinbelievable. I cannot even comprehend what it must be like to live in such a place. As I stood out on the back patio - between the outdoor kitchen and the outdoor dining room, gazing at the stunning pool and hot tub - I saw four young boys playing in the backyard next door. They were bouncing back and forth between swimming in the pool and fishing off the back dock into the pond. They looked to be about Connor's age. I thought, "Do they even know? ... Do they even have *any* clue what sort of life they're leading? Do they know that there's a near 40-year-old woman watching them and wondering what it must be like to live their life?" Envy. It's a terrible thing, y'all.