Dance is her thing. She loves it.
Courtesy of Sarah Shrader
Two days before she turned 11, Miss Maylie cooked us all dinner. She has really gotten into doing things like that. In fact, she called me on my way home and asked if she could get it started. She knew exactly how to prepare it as she had watched me do it numerous times.
I may be able to get used to these 11-year-old changes.
I mean, she is even doing a better job at keeping her room clean. OK, OK, we still have some work to do there! But seriously, her vanity is organized the way she likes it (with way too much skin care for a child), and her dresser has remained decorated with all her “preppy” items.
Skin care and preppy – this is completely 11. Everything is preppy these days. Listen, when I hear the word preppy all I can think about is Zach on “Saved by the Bell” and how AC Slater always called him that because he was, well, what I knew as preppy. These days – a shirt, an art project or a remark could all be preppy.
And can we just chat about skincare and 11-year-olds? Maylie literally does more steps while washing her face at 11 than I do in my entire morning routine of waking up and getting out the door. When I was 11, I think the only time my face was washed was with a bar of soap when I showered, and I certainly didn’t have like six other things to put on it afterward. Apparently, I wasn’t preppy. Ha.
Oh, 11 year-old changes are certainly in full force at times with her attitude, and she is already the worst pre-teen to ever have to wake up in the morning, but there are some really fun changes too.
Like, how she is finally falling into who she is as a person. As my little people pleaser from the beginning (and probably – okay especially – a mommy pleaser), it is so good to see her make decisions based on what SHE actually likes.
After many years of basketball, she has finally decided that it is not for her. Dance is her thing. She loves it! I am the furthest thing from a dancer or dance mom, but I am working on it! Watching her practice almost every night and seeing the joy in her eyes when she performs – the real passion of a sport – makes my heart so happy for her!
Another thing I have noticed about Maylie is her realization of other people’s actions and who she welcomes in close. Don’t get me wrong, she is still very friendly. But she recognizes her true friends versus acquaintances. She has her people – but she doesn’t have to have all the people. This is big for 11 – heck, it is big at any age.
But 11 also comes with being much more aware of her body and image in general. I hate this part – mainly because I feel like once it starts, it is never-ending. Her hair is frizzy, or her tummy has a roll when she sits down or her clothes don’t fit right anymore. As a parent, our kids are the most perfect looking beings created. (Am I right?) So it is killer to hear your kid talk down about herself and the way she looks. But it has made me re-evaluate my own image of my body – and any remarks I may want to make about it.
She is watching. And any frustrations with my weight that I verbalize just justify her frustrations with her body. So, we talk a lot about healthy choices and Jesus – not exactly at the same time – but they do go hand in hand. Our value and worth come from Jesus – and certainly not what stares back at us in the mirror. Sometimes, she needs the reminder – and sometimes, she reminds me.
Because even though I will lay down the law as her mother, she still really is one of my best friends – we hype each other up for big events and let each other know when one of us is being unreasonable. We both apologize when we mess up and know that, when things get rough, we can stop and pray together.
It’s still weird to me, though, that the first little baby to make me a mom is 11. I am not sure how we got here so fast. But I am sure of one thing – that every single day she makes me so proud of the person she is becoming and so thankful that God trusted me to be her mom. I absolutely cannot wait for all of the adventures that year 11 will bring for my beautiful girl.
Happy Birthday, Maylie Jane. I love you so much!
Sarah (Pitson) Shrader was born and raised in Lima. She is a Lima Central Catholic and Tiffin University graduate. Sarah is a full-time working mama who enjoys writing about her somewhat crazy, always adventurous life as a mother. She lives in Bath Township with her daughters and writing inspirations, Maylie and Reagan.
