Perfect Little Bow...

I was fine when she learned how to walk, she seemed on target and it gave her a sense of new found freedom....

I was excited for her when she read her first Peter and Jane book, it allowed her to broaden her imagination....

But her being able to tie her own shoes, just put me over the edge....

Exactly a week ago today we played hooky and hung out at Starbucks and Toys R Us, I remember just as we were getting ready to walk out the door she begged me to teach her how to tie her shoe.

I honestly didn't have time for a "mommy teaching moment" and seriously wanted to just tie her shoe myself so as to save half hour, but something made me put my bag down, sit on the floor and put on that "patient mommy hat and voice" as I spoke about the "bunny ears, and the bunny going through the hole....."

She managed to cobble together a bow after I'd shown her twice and I double knotted it "quick-fast" so that five minutes later we weren't back sitting on the floor again.

I seriously thought nothing of it after that, in my head I figured "So I've shown her how to tie it, I'll let her father practice with her, she's way to young to really grasp it and figure it out, and I really don't have that kind of time right now." (Yes I have long complex thoughts in my head, I seriously thought all this)

Two days later she comes running to me, beaming ear to ear as I picked her up from day care to go home. "Mommy I tied my shoe on my own."

I told her I was proud of her and asked her who helped her.

She said no one helped her....

I looked her straight in the eyes, (you know that mommy look that you give to resurrect that little white lie hiding back there), and asked her again.

Bad Parent Moment: I was about to actually give her a stern talking to about the repercussions of lying and then something stopped me.

In my head I'd only taught her two days ago, in my head she was just too young to grasp it, in my head she's still a baby, way too young to possibly navigate the stages of life.

I'm constantly underestimating her....constantly second guessing her, possibly making her second guess herself, which isn't a good thing at all.

She undid her bow and told me "Mommy watch...." and there she tied it again right before my eyes, this perfect little bow.