On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Frankie goes to daycare from 8:00-3:00. Cody usually takes her and I usually pick her up. When they were leaving this morning, right before they walked out the door, they turned towards me and Cody gently prompted: "Say bye-bye to Mommy." Frankie gave the double backwards wave and said "Bah Bah" in her cute little voice. I replied with "I love you," and Frankie repeated something that sounded like "Ah dah dah." And then they both closed with a new Frankie favorite: the Donnie and Marie Osmond hand-to-mouth "Ummmmmmm-Mwahhhhh!" good-bye kiss, circa 1976-- and Frankie reproduced the act with 1 cup exaggeration and 1 cup grandiosity. It was the perfect way to start the morning. All mornings everywhere should start like that, but they don't, and as far as mine go--as much as I wish they would go on forever like this, I'm no dummy--I know they won't.
Fast forward 15 years.
Frankie is getting ready to leave for school and springs this one on me:
Frankie: Mom... Emma, Isabella and Ethan are going to see the "Blah Blahs" in concert in Ann Arbor. We'll come home the same night. You don't know Ethan but he's super cool and he has a car, can I go?
Me: Um, let me think about that...oh, I just did--NO SHOT.
Frankie: Why not? Their moms are totally letting them go!!! (Probably a lie).
Me: Uh, Why not? Are you kidding? Do you want the first 100 reasons why not or just the top 10?
Frankie: I'm going to ask daddy. You are so mean you never let me do anything! (Also a lie).
Me: I know. Whatever. Drink your orange juice and go to school. Be sure to call your dad.
And then-- right when she is leaving, and she is FOR SURE still mad-- I will grab her attention by calling her name and I will throw down one of those Donny and Marie hand-to-mouth kisses and tell her I love her.
Bring it, Frankie. I'm ready. "Ummmmmmmmmm-Mwah!!!"
