I cry today....you ask why

The first two girls in my life are starting new chapters in their lives today. Dallas is my 17 yr old niece that I consider MINE LOL I was only 15 when she was born and I must say quite jealous of her because she stole my spotlight as the baby of the family. I was forced to keep her one evening while my sis and mom went to play Bingo. Dallas was a few weeks old at this point. I put her on my bed, turned on the tv, grabbed my school books and the phone as most teens do. She started fussing and I had to pick her up...geez I couldn't let her just lay there and cry could I. Oh my, it was all over with then! She was so warm and soft and the smell of baby lotion poured from the blanket. I was hooked! We were like two peas in a pod from that day on. She could have the spotlight...she earned it! Heck I don't if anyone could put her higher on a throne than I did! She is a big girl now and we have our disagreements to say the least LOL We butt heads about silly trivial things but we have always been more like friends and she really does have my attitude and I can only blame myself for that one. I have dried her tears, calmed her fears, played with her, seen her grow, take her first steps, drive her first car and the list goes on. Today, although I am not there to see it she will be doing another first...she starts college today! I am so proud of her and I hope she does as well with this chapter as she has done with all the other chapters of her life.

Alexis only briefly went to a babysitter before the offices closed where I worked and I have had her with me at home since then. I never returned to work. It is with a heavy heavy heart that I will get to watch her take her first walk into the next chapter of her life. She starts Kindergarten today. She will have so many new experiences that I will not be there for but I guess that is something all children have to do at some point in their lives. Having Alexis and Beans home with me all day and night really gets to me sometimes. I feel I can not get anything done because one of them is always hanging on me. My mom always says "hold em while you can because tomorrow they may not want to sit in your lap"! Those words passed through my mind yesterday evening as I fixed her first school lunch and snack. She picked out her first school outfit and had to put on all the smell good in the bathroom...I called my mom to say "I changed my mind" I DO want her hanging off of my leg! But I know this part of her life will be filled with stories to laugh about. You know I will be posting first day of school pics later LOL

When I was a senior in high school I needed a few points to boost my English grade to graduate. I just didn't grasp the whole Macbeth thing LOL Every year my school put out a poetry book and it was published by low and behold my English teacher. She said if you write something and it is chosen by the committee to be published you will earn 100 extra points....just what I needed. I know how to rhyme if nothing else LOL so I grabbed a pen and thought of Dallas, she was I think 3 at the time and jotted down the following poem about her...YAY I sit here today as the proud owner of a high school diploma LOL my poem was in the 1993 edition of Ephemera the school poetry book.

A Day With DAllas

Open the door
and out she runs
Under the sun
She'll have her fun.

The bouncing curls
Of my little girl
Ring around the Rosie
and watch her twirl

The smile on her face
When she's playing race
Her little legs can't keep the pace
But Dallas knows she's my true Ace

Her big blue eyes
She can disguise
But with them
Your heart she buys

Her button nose
With it's wrinkled pose
Give it blow
And off she goes

A hump
A bump
Her toe she stumped
And little Dallas hit her rump.

A jump, a hop
A lollipop
This little girl
Just doesn't stop!

In pawpaw's chair she takes her seat
There she watches Sesame Street
Smiling, laughing and keeping the beat
That's my angels greatest feat.

A yawn, a stretch
Her blanket I fetch
Her weary body
The couch does catch

Off to dreamland
Without a peep
Now my sanity
I can keep!