Be Still My Beeping Heart

My daughter is 5 and a half.

She's one of those "kids say the darndest things" kids.

Not trying to be funny. When she tries to be funny, honestly she's downright ridiculous.

What I mean is, she still mangles words and expressions. For example, we finally got her saying "girl" instead of "gwoyl." But now she can't say "grill." It's "girl." And she's just downright confused.

Sometimes I worry -- should this still be happening? I admit, it used to really bother me. She seemed too old to still be doing that. Especially considering how articulate my three-year-old is. But those are little memories you cherish and laugh about for years to come, and so I've decided that right now I can't bear to correct her. Is that OK?

Just the other day she came running into the kitchen with her hand on her chest and, flushed with excitement, stated "Mom my heart is beeping like crazy. I must be starving!" (Note to self -- review some basic anatomy with the kid) Keep in mind, this is also the same child who says things like "It's not your house" when I ask her to pick up her toys, and screams "your breath is bad" when I'm trying to explain why she's in time out, AGAIN. She's also the child who regularly threatens to run away and tells me God's gonna be bad at me for yelling at her. She's got the back-talking ability of a 16-year old. She could go head to head in a sassing contest with most of the teenage girls in our neighborhood, and win.

What gives?

So I won't correct her. For now.

Because we have plenty of time for that.

Because when she runs into the kitchen, cheeks flushed with excitement and eyes wide and tells me that she needs breakfast because her hear is beeping like crazy, I realize that it's all too soon that that innocence will be gone. And it makes my heart stop a little.

Be still my beeping heart.

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