Growing Up

The Moo and Bean have reached the ripe old ages of six and four, and the signs that they are getting older are impossible to ignore:

• When Mom dropped the Moo off at her camp classroom on Wednesday and Thursday, she refused to let me kiss or hug her in front of her friends.
• She has also requested that we not call her "Moo" in front of her friends. She informs me that it is an OK nickname to use at home, but an embarrassing one to use around others in her age cohort.
• I can no longer spell things out in front of her or let her look over my shoulder when I am typing; she reads everything.
• She is making value judgments on her own, rather than soliciting my opinion. We were listening to "Evangeline" in the car on the way to camp, and she asked me "Mom, what is this song about?" As I often do the 546 times a day I am asked this question, I way oversimplified and said "It's about a boy who wants a girl to spend time with him, but she wants to spend her time with God." The Moo thought about it and said "Well, isn't that more important?" Hopefully she keeps that mindset, as it will make it so much easier when Dad tries to stick her in the convent at age 13. :)
• The Bean makes her own lunch now. Peanut butter and jelly tacos, and she gets all the ingredients and puts the who thing together herself, leaving half on the counter.
• She doubts everything I say. All I hear is "Mom, are you sure you know what you're talking about it?" or "That's not right Mom."
• I kind of like that she questions everything, and there is a definite thought process behind it. The Moo told her the other day that people are animals and the Bean did her best Charlton Heston:" I am not an animal!!" I told her that yes, in fact, the Moo was right, and we are animals, and she thought about it and retorted, "But I can talk. Animals don't talk." A spurious argument, but a logical one, so I was proud of her.
• When I admit I do not know the answer to her questions, she tells me "Well, Mom, you will have to Google it up."
• She makes me books out of newspaper clippings. When I asked her what the latest one she gave me was about, she told me "It is about food, waterfalls, the tri-state area, and love." Sounds like a potential best seller to me. :)

They are also being AWESOME with me this week. I have been down for the count with fever and chills, congestion, and sinus pressure, and they have been so good about letting me rest. Thanks little bugs. In the words of the Bean, "You rock, dude."