She's not a toddler anymore....

A couple of weeks ago we went camping with Julie. Just for a day or two while she went to a printmaking workshop at a museum in the vicinity. Nowadays I mostly see her as a sensible, hardworking, creative person, and a good teacher, but every once in a while the old saucy twinkle still appears in her eyes as she shares a joke or plays a trick on us. She comes up with the funnest ideas for Christmas--the silly
string in our stockings last year
was a blast and added a lot to
the enjoyment of the holiday
(and then there's the boxing
gloves...)

Although, it wasn't actually Julie's idea to pose with the statue--she is just graciously humoring one of her mother's inexplicable whims.




She has always been interested in sports
and taking care of her body, having lately
taken up preparing for and participating
in triathalons. She has even managed to
envigle her non-sports participating
brother into joining her when she goes
biking. Several of the blogs I read are
written by moms with little guys at home,
and I remember those days well, but I
marvel almost every time I see her what
a competent, good, and (mostly) together (nobody's perfect) adult this scrappy
toddler has become.



I always used to get a little upset
when my mother still saw the little
girl in me, but now, realizing how
much I still enjoy the glimpses of the
Julie-that-used-to-be, maybe I'll cut
my own mother some slack! Recalling
the little Julie in no way diminshes the
pleasure I feel in knowing that I had
some small part in helping her become
the amazing woman she is.