Hold You Me

It's exactly how she says it:

"Hold You Me".

How can I resist but to hold her you when she says that sweet, sweet 'hold you me'?

My daughter is quite adorable and loves some risky business.  My mother says I have my hands full "she doesn't like to sleep... she's into everything... she's so curious... " and on the rare occasion when my mom watches Sayler for a few hours I am sure to find my mama looking nothing short of exhausted and defeated upon my return. 

And Sayler and I will get to a place like MyGym where she can exhaust all her energies in an organized fashion.  But I often feel awkward at places like MyGym where the better mothers frequent and exchange tips and playdate sessions. My infrequent attendance in any mommy-and-me inspired class has me blush at "we haven't seen you for awhile..'.  But I'm a working girl and so it is what it is that we will get to MyGym when we can and I will blush and face my inadequacies and forget how circle time is organized and have to re-teach Sayler how to run across the "hot dog" like the other kids and I'll scowl at my choice to wear a dress when the other sensible mommies are wearing all-terrain leggings befitting of a MyGym session. 

But I noticed last week that as it turns out Sayler is quite the hot dog runner, though the other kids jumped aboard obligingly and quickly, remembering the course from a class we surely missed. But Say observed, took heed and then dazzled all by her ability to jam across, althewhile insisting no one hold her hand.  "No help you mommy".  She would do it by herself.

And on at least a few occasions I caught a couple MyGym kids break down in tears for one reason or another.  And as I quietly judged my own parenting skills and imperfect attendance I couldn't help but take heed that those perfect-attendance toddlers would never be destined for upper-management with their tantrums and whiney attitudes.

Pull yourself together, child!

But Sayler would be destined for it if it's what she wants someday.

So I know that due to my own failures she will take a little longer than most kids to remember how to do something she already learned.  She will sometimes be late because mommy is running late due a meeting than ran late and I will miss a few events here and there because I have to work.

But it doesn't matter.

My love isn't measured by how many mommy and me classes I take with my little girl or how often I am on time or how often Sayler's hair is perfectly conditioned.

And no matter my failures and inadequacies my daughter will own any run across a 'hot dog' or left foot in, left foot out, shaking it all about dance session and she will serve up a platter of amazingness at many things she endeavors to do.

Because in spite of me, she is she.