not to us

Ruby really is growing up so fast.  There are times when we can't figure out whether or not she's four or fourteen.  Take this evening, for example:

At Don Pablos (Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone!), she was "hiding" her preschool Mother's Day gift from me.  But then she was giving me hints about it:

"It goes around your neck.  And it's really pretty."

Obviously a four year old.

And then in the van:

"Why don't we make necklaces for Daddies for Mother's Day?"

"Oh, so you made me a necklace??"

*blush* "No, no I didn't.  I was just thinking if we did make necklaces, why they would only be for Mommies..."  ;)

Seriously!?  How in the world does she know how to cover like that?  That's totally pre-teen manipulation, people.

Those are the cute pre-teen moments.

Then she has her not-so-cute pre-teen moments.  Actually, these moments send my blood straight to boiling:

This evening, I told my beautiful little girl that she couldn't watch another episode of Blue's Clues.  And then, I had the gall to choose our bedtime book, because it's a special book I got for her, Won't You Be My Kissaroo?

She didn't like those choices...so she threw the book down the stairs and had a fit.  I sent her to the bathroom and, on her way there, she said, "Ugh! Sometimes I could just pound her in the face!"

What in the world?   (My dad told me that I had to take my previous statement down.)

WHERE did she learn that?  And, for real, her saying that makes me want to pound her in the face.  :P  

So Daddy went and had a talk with her, delivered the consequences for those words, and put her to bed.  After their bedtime prayer, I went in to say, "Goodnight."  That's when Ruby told Daddy what was bothering her:

As tears streamed down her face, "Danica said she didn't want to be my friend anymore."

<imagine my face>  <because my heart broke into a million pieces>  <seriously>

Mike didn't understand what she said, so she repeated in sobbing phrases, "Today at school, Danica said she wasn't my friend anymore.  I don't know why.  She must have been angry or something."

And people, that's when I realized that I am *so* not ready for the teen years.  Because I had NO idea how to soothe her little heart.  I had no idea how to make that pain feel any better.

Maybe she's four going on fourteen, but there are times when I feel like I'm 28 going on 14...still trying to figure this whole thing out.

Somehow, we'll make it through, but there are bound to be some interesting moments along the way.

Have you ever had to walk your child through something for which you felt completely ill-equipped?  Is there a specific time in your childhood when you needed your parents' support and/or advice?  What did they say that helped you?  Do you have any suggestions for helping children with friendships?