Oh, Girl!

She marched off to school today, bouncing slightly with every step, like she has for ten years.  Today is her last day of Grade 8.  

Tonight is her graduation.

It kind of freaks me out real bad that my tiny 4 year old, who wore pink rubber boots with a dress on her first day of Junior Kindergarten, is now a long legged teenager who has crushes on rock stars and actors and is trying to play Metallica songs on her Daddy's big classical guitar.  She's got ridiculously long legs that remind me of a weanling filly.  She is, impossibly, graceful and goofy at the same time.  She can't lie worth a crap.  Like me, she messes up 90% of her jokes before she gets to the punchline, sometimes because she's already giggling too hard. 

She's taller than me but she's the shortest girl in her grade.  I'm not sure what that says about me or the size of these darn kids today.

We found her a cute black dress with pink polka dots for ten dollars.  She had to get new shoes since her feet have grown in the last couple of months.  Her hair's been trimmed, her grad photos are done, her locker is almost empty.  We've got a new shirt for her little brother; he's even going to wear a tie for this big event.

I tease her that this really shouldn't be such a big deal, since really, passing Grade 8 should be a given.  I mean, even if it takes a few years, you should pass Grade 8.  I still have this attitude that high school is too long.  (This from me, who took 5 1/2 years to finish it...)  But Grade 8, you simply have to get that.  High school is basically an exercise in meeting deadlines while narrowing down what you might do for a living later on, and of course, massive flirting and giggling and heartbreaking and growing.  Surviving high school is a feat.  Even one year there can change you forever.

But you know, when it's your own kid who graduates Grade 8, it's a big deal.  

She's so bright and imaginative.  She's also a total Unicorn Rancher --she'll be doodling or daydreaming or picking her fingernails or anything instead of paying attention in class.  For this reason alone her good marks are a big deal!  She's really struggled to get along in a world that doesn't always understand her Attention Deficit Oh Shiny.  I'm proud of her for trying to cope while never losing her unique personality.  

She and I spent the weekend together, since the guys were A) at a friend's cottage, or B) working.  We had Girl Weekend, which for us means hanging around with horses, puttering in the garden, and watching This Is Spinal Tap.  And yeah, so many things about her life make sense now that she's seen that movie.  (Finally she gets the Bobbi Flekman imitation.)

The Girl really worked this weekend. She got our Current Favourite Pony to lope all the way around the ring, twice, without breaking down into a trot!  Plus she rode the pony down the road to the neighbour's arena, where they did another quick ride!  The kid knows how to handle Ponytude.  She's quiet in the hands, doesn't lose her temper, and uses those long legs of hers to move the pony.  I'm proud of her.  I can't wait to see her with her own horse again.

She also helped with some barn work, and did a little babysitting job.

On Saturday night she slept for twelve hours.  I think she was taller when she got out of bed.  

I know for a fact that this evening, when both of us are wearing our dresses and high heels, she will still be taller than me.  I'm bringing her flip flops in my purse, just in case she gets sick of the heels... I may never be the taller of the two of us but I'm still her mother...