a moment

an amazing thing happened here.. Miss H has been working to finish up all her projects for the fair. She just had a few sewing things to work on since she completed her art work over the summer. She had a long list of things we had bought fabric for and anyhow..

I was watching her work, giving advice when needed, and apparently sometimes when not needed.. she has grown up before my very eyes. As she was manipulating the fabric and pins under the presser foot I noticed even her fingers have stretched and lengthened so that they are nimble elegant mature. The sound of her quiet voice guiding herself through a proper pivot, and perfect backstitch was a comfort. She has become a wonderfully patient seamstress, her projects are beyond beautiful to me. It's not the stitch work, it's how much growth these new items represent. The handstitched binding on a quilt for kit, the serged seams on the cutest pair of tommy hilfiger eat your heart out sailor pants with adjustable waist, the double top-stitching on a denim skirt. She is a different child than last summer. Industrious, not busy.

As she was stitching the last button on her skirt I couldn't help but to kiss the top of her head like when she was an infant. "How did we get here to this moment?" my heart whispered, she doesn't need me, but she wants me, she's independent but inclusive. She's creative but careful. I am in awe of her!

Today as I was putting her hair into two quick braids for school she looked at me in the mirror and said, "you know.. I can do two ponies myself, but sometimes they come out crooked." I met her eyes in the glass and answered, "Well you probably just need more practice, I don't let you do your own hair very often, because I like spending time with you in the morning, and talking with you."

you know what she said, " I know mom, I like it too." **

What a blessing to be part of her journey... and I'm telling you if she doesn't come home with a purple ribbon from that fair I will make her one!


**also this was certainly true today, and I have recorded it  here because I would like to remember that she said that, and that we had this glorious quiet patient morning where we enjoyed one another, because sometimes, it's not like that at all... not to ruin the post, but just you know for full disclosure.

Hannah's entries for the fair.. 2011