Where Is My Little Girl?

I do not know exactly when it happened, but suddenly my baby girl is no longer little.

I am not referring to her actual size, which has also grown.  Many people cannot believe she is only in kindergarten.  Looks like she will be taking after me.   Hopefully the boys do, too.  Nick has this fear that Abby will tower over him, while the boys will be short.  In all honestly, I think he married me in hopes that he would have tall, athletic sons.

But, I digress.

Little Abby has gone from a cute, little girl to a kid.  Her days of being a toddler are way in the past.  But, I have still been holding on to my little preschooler who played with toys and watched Noggin.  That girl no longer exists. 

My daughter now reads chapter books by herself and no longer needs me to read to her.  Her bookshelves are filled with American Girl books, her Bibles and my old collection of Little House on the Prairie books.  Her Dora, Olivia, and Berenstein Bears books are now on Caleb's shelf or traded in to Half Price Books. 

She no longer wants to flip to Noggin or PBS Kids, but comes home asking about Hannah Montana (which I still have refused to let come into our house, considering who that role model is today).  The other day, she mentioned how her friends at school consider Clifford to be a baby show and now she agrees.  True, the girl has not watched it or read those books in awhile, but I wonder if she were to still enjoy it if not for the peer pressure.

My little girl has been known for changing her clothes in front of everyone, no matter where she is.  Just ask anyone in our family or circle of friends.  She has always dropped her drawers and run around.  Now, she is suddenly aware of needing privacy and cautiously locks her bedroom door to keep out her brother.

Okay, so I am thankful for that part of growing up.

Her movie picks are Anne of Green Gables (love that), Annie and the latest kid movies to come out.  She picks colors and patterns for her clothes instead of Disney characters.  Her princess dress up clothes have been passed on to her younger friend.  She willingly parted with many toys for the latest yard sale because "those are baby toys" and she "doesn't play those kinds of things anymore."

Sniff, sniff.

I know this is part of life.  It just feels like it took forever for her to get to this age and all of a sudden, I am aware of how quickly the rest of our time with her is going to go.  I am suddenly seeing her first kiss, driving, prom, graduation, college, moving out, marriage...

She is only six.  She is only six.  She is only six.

While I watch Miss Abigail grow up way too quickly, I will enjoy every moment that I can.