Here She Grows Again
Have you ever argued with a 7-year old girl? It's a little like arguing with a wall, except that the wall knows your weaknesses. It can lash out with words that cut deep, but it means no harm because C'MON, IT'S A WALL.
Er ... a 7-year old.
So maybe it's just Alexis, but maybe it's not and all kids are like this, but arguing with her is brutal. BRUTAL. She can find holes in my non-logic while drafting her own version of reality. She knows which words will send me spiraling out of control, even as she spirals out of control.
"I don't have anything to wear!" she will wail.
I think the words feel true in her heart, but she probably should look around at the pile of clothes around her before she says them. She knows it makes me absolutely coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs when she says it. Perhaps that is the point.
But our arguments are always just millimeters from turning into giggling fits. All I have to do is echo a particularly magnificent whine or she can yell "I LOVE YOU EVEN WHEN YOU'RE GRUMPY" or we can just simply lock eyes and it's all over. Laughter takes over. That's the way it has been for a very long time.
Until about two weeks ago, that is. About two weeks ago the fights were frequent. The fights were serious. The fights were particularly stupid. It took me a day or two to realize I needed to take a step back and be the adult, but eventually I did. When the kid is completely unreasonable, there is always an explanation. She wasn't hungry, she wasn't tired, she wasn't ... WAIT.
"Alexis, did you grow again?" I asked her. It's a question that always stops her arguing ways because she has an auto-on switch with her glowiness when she answers that question.
"Yes!" she bragged.
"Come here a second," I told her as I grabbed her hand and led her to the nook in her old bedroom where we have tracked her growth for the past three years.
Alexis stood perfectly still as I measured and made a little scratch in pencil and then squinted and checked my work. And checked it again.
Never mind how far she has come since that first mark back in September of 2010. That is insignificant because I very clearly remember that Alexis couldn't reach the light switches when we first moved into this house. I don't need that pencil mark to remind me.
Rather, it's the distance between the other marks. Slow and steady. Steady and slow. Growing and growing. And then BAM.
About six inches in six months. Having witnessed the chaos, I'd say four of those inches magically appeared in the past couple of weeks.
No wonder the kid is a grouch as of late. She's really very busy doing that growing up thing.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Reader Comments (7)
Mmm'kay. So now I'm going to hauling E over to our growth chart in the morning because holycrapthefighting has been rampant here too. I'd love a nice, simple visual of some reason to appear. And I never would have thought about this one.
I'm in awe of the 6 in 6 though! That's a lot!
Holy crap that's a growth spurt! We do the same thing, wondering WHY OUR CHILDREN ARE POSSESSED???!! Then... oh. Whendid your pants get too short?... OOOOH RIIIIGHT. Duh!
Holy mackeral that's one heck of a growth spurt!
Wow! I've never thought about correlating the growth to the level of fight/whine. I'm going to have to start tracking that in my own brood.
I periodically remind my grouches that I only FEEEEED them when they are nice to me. To which they usually answer that they love me BEST when I am feeding them. Darn that sarcasm gene. I don't know if it's nature or nurture on that one, but either way I'm screwed. :)
I tried to comment from my phone but apparently FAILED.
Anyway, yes, I JUST bought BB new jeans and then he had The Growing Pains the other night. This is why I hate buying new jeans! LOL
i was amazed that i literally could see the change in her...in a week!