When Can I?

 

Last night, as Lainie was getting ready for bed, she asked me when she could start drinking coffee.

I had just bought a new coffee maker {one that doesn't leak weird black water all over my cheap white counters}, so I figured she was just making conversation.

But then she wouldn't let it go.

She asked three more times before I finally got her to bed.

She asked again this morning when I was packing her lunch.

And I realized....it's started.

The phase of "When can I..." has begun, and I know from experience {because I was a 10 year old girl once} that this phase goes on basically until one of two things happens:

Either A) they become a teenager who rebels, and they no longer care when you say they can do things. They just start doing them.

Or, if you're exceptionally lucky, B) they turn 18 and THEN start doing things without asking you first.

If you make it that far without them foregoing your permission for things, call me and tell me how you did that.

Anyway, the phase has started where she is still, in my opinion, too little for everything, but in her mind, in a big ass hurry to get bigger and grow up already.

It starts with when can I have coffee, and before you know it, it's when can I wear makeup? when can I shave my legs? when can I go on dates? when can I wear a bra? when can I tattoo my face? when can I grow up and move out and leave you forever?!

 

So pass me all of the chips and all of the leftover mashed potatoes, because I think I'm officially in the level of Hell where to me she is a baby who should still play with babies, and to her she is a grown woman who drinks coffee and commutes 30 minutes in the morning.

 

We persevere.