Growing up is not easy . . .

. . . for mommy that is.  It seems that my little baby girl is no longer a baby girl.  When did that happen?

Just a month old

The newest thing.  It was announced to me when she got off the bus this week that she has two boyfriends.

Erin's always related well with the boys.  She can be a bit of a tomboy when she wants.  And to be truthful, that was me as a kid.  My best friends in elementary school were boys.  I could sit and play Star Wars guys with them for hours on end. We spent weekends digging in the dirt.  I was certainly more of a tomboy than Erin is.  I hated dresses, never owned a Barbie, and loved playing softball with my dad or climbing trees. 

This Is NOT Erin

Even in Kindergarten Erin had a best buddy.  She and he were pretty in-separable the second half of the year.  But first grade rolled around, new class, new friends and they both moved on.  Last year she was friends with one of the boys in class. They sat together at lunch every day for a stretch. This year apparently there is a new friend in class.  This is not someone I've heard her talk about before.  But she certainly talks about him a lot now. 

She came home last week talking a lot about him, and how they sat near each other.  Then the big announcement was made this week -- she's his girlfriend.  I'm pretty sure that doesn't mean what it will mean in a few years, but Erin asked me if it was OK if they held hands while walking to lunch.  The fact that she asked me, makes me think she's growing up.  This is different from Kindergarten.  Apparently he's also mentioned that they should go on a date -- ummm NO!!!!

And now there's a boy on the bus who's decided they're boyfriend/girlfriend.  I do believe this is the same boy who made her cry on the first day of school when he called her a baby.  You know, we tease because we like -- wait what am I saying.

I certainly don't think that at 7, I was thinking about "boyfriends" but times have certainly changed.  Characters on cartoons aimed at elementary schoolers talk about crushes and dating.  Disney shows are loaded with "couples".  Or maybe I was just a totally oblivious kid.

Now excuse me while I go and clean out the shotgun for Tom to get ready for the next few years.

Just Look At Those Legs