gracie girl

Today we went to the school where Lillian will attend kindergarten next year. It was so strange, being in a school that actually looked really similar to the one I taught in (but didn't sound like it, thankfully). I think about those kids that I used to see every day and I can't believe that all of a sudden Lillian is one of them.

It doesn't help that today she's wearing jeans and a green sweater, with shoes that I wish I could find in my size, and earrings that DANGLE. and a ponytail. No hair bows, no hello kitty, no princesses. She looks like a big girl. The only thing that looks little about her today are the polka dots barely peeking out from behind her sweater.



The whole time we were at the school I kept hearing the words of Ben Folds' "Gracie" in my head. It's a really wonderful song, but if you happen to have a "gracie," like we do, it's even more wonderful.

While we ate lunch I decided to find it on the ipod and listen to it, savoring the images of Lillian at home with me, eating lunch here, playing with her siblings. I think they'll soon be just memories. :(

And as I'm realizing how old she's getting, and how "teenage" she's seeming, she looks at me and says "Mom, I'm gonna listen to it again, k?" and she grabs the ipod and gets us back to "gracie." Because she's old. And she knows how to do it.



'Gracie' by Ben Folds
You can’t fool me
I saw you when you came out
You got your momma’s taste
But you got my mouth

You will always have a part of me
Nobody else is ever gonna see
Gracie girl

With your cards to your chest
Walking on your toes
What you got in the box
Only Gracie knows

And I would never try to make you be
Anything you didn’t really wanna be
Gracie girl

Life flies by in seconds
You’re not a baby
Gracie, you’re my friend
You’ll be a lady soon
But until then
You gotta do what I say

You nodded off in my arms watching TV
I won’t move you an inch
Even though my arm’s asleep

One day you’re gonna wanna go
I hope we taught you everything
You need to know
Gracie girl

There will always be a part of me
Nobody else is ever gonna see
But you and me
My little girl
My Gracie girl

**if you've got 2 minutes and 40 seconds, you can listen to it here.