I Did It, Mommy!

I had the  most amazing experience at the park this week with my baby girl.  I just had to share.  The story begins with a tunnel at the park that slopes upward.  Addy has always wanted to climb up this tunnel but has never been able to do so.  She tried this time too.  She kept sliding back down just short of the top.  She would pout and then tell me "I can't do it.  It's too hard!"  I told her, "Keep trying, baby, I think you can do it!"  I struggled with what to tell her - I wanted to encourage her, to show her I believed in her...but I also didn't want to tell her she could do something that she wasn't ready for.  I wanted it to be ok for her if she couldn't make it to the top this time.  I told her that she would be able to someday, when she was bigger.  But she kept going back.  She would pull herself up with her arms, dig her feet in, and huff and puff....

I stood there at the bottom of the tunnel, just cheering her on, telling her she could do it and to keep trying.  And then....SHE DID IT!!!

She looked down at me and said " I did it Mommy!!"  Of course you did, baby girl!  You worked so hard! I knew you could do it!  I could have cried with joy for her.  I felt silly.  I mean...really, she just climbed a tube.  She struggled to do it a second time, over and over and over again.  She kept going back and kept falling down.  She was SO frustrated.  She told me again she couldn't do it and it was too hard.  But this time I KNEW she could.  So I told her so.  She must have tried more than a dozen times before she got back up there.  And when she did, she said, "I did it, Mommy!  I told you!"  I assume this is because I tell her all the time after she gets frustrated and tries again, " I told you that you could do it."  It was hilarious to hear her repeat my words.  

Watching this sweet girl of mine go back to that sloped tunnel repeatedly, even after falling down over and over again, made me so proud.  My heart literally swelled.  She gets frustrated easily (like her mom) but she will NEVER give up until she gets what she wants (like her  mom).  To see my own traits reflected in her was indescribable.  I do so many things wrong, I mess up every hour of every day with my two kids.  But I didn't mess THIS up.  She kept trying, and she got to the top!  And she knew her mom was there to cheer her on, to empathize with her frustration and sadness, to hug her when she slid down and felt like giving up, and to celebrate with her when she finally made it.  She will always know that, no matter what.  There is nothing this girl can't do.  Nothing.  

Addy got to slide down that tube, her pay off for all her hard work....

As she gets older, the slopes will be steeper, the falls more painful, and the accomplishments more grand.  I want to remember our teamwork on this particular task.   We will need the same simple ingredients each time.  Her tenacity, and my belief that she can do ANYthing she puts her mind to.  I hope as the obstacles get more complicated, I don't get lost in the chaos.  I will always have these pictures and this story to remind me of what she needs from me.  I can't wait to see what this life holds for her -  for both of my babies.   What an honor it is to stand beside the tunnel and to cheer on this precious little life.  So many have stood beside me and encouraged me to be the best I can be....and now I get to pass that on.  This is one of the best gifts motherhood has given me so far and I could not be more grateful.