Life with Ladybug: Meeting snark with love

By Shannon Magsam

She’s almost 9. That means some snarky attitude is creeping into my daughter’s speech (Disney Channel? No, ma’am, you are cut off). She’s trying on her older self for size and I have to keep handing her the smaller britches. I also have to keep reminding myself of all the things that make my child awesome (so I don’t pinch her head off).

So, with that in mind, I devised the …

Top 10 List of Ladybug’s Most Endearing Qualities at present:

1. A tender heart. She couldn’t sleep last night because the lesson on slavery at school today had her so disturbed. She can’t fathom such cruelty. It’s frightening and pushes against her sense of fairness.
2. A tender heart, take II. She is pining over a tiny homeless kitten that we took care of at PetSmart this week. She is begging to bring him home. I overheard her praying tonight, asking God to make her parents’ lips say yes to a second (stray) cat. “That little boy needs me,” she said. (And, mamas, slap me, but I’m actually considering letting her have the second cat. He really grabbed both of our hearts. And two doesn’t make me a Crazy Cat Lady, does it?)
3. She loves to make people laugh. And does.
4. She’s a good friend who finds good friends.
5. She asks for what she wants, usually politely. It took me until about 10th grade to stop being so shy and speaking up for myself. (Yes, I was once shy! Can you believe it?!)
6. She wants to do a cartwheel, but can’t yet. Yet she keeps trying. Over and over and over. Often in the house, which is not so endearing.
7. She invents secret codes so that we can communicate (silently) while out in public.
8. She still loves for me to get down on the floor and play with her when it’s just us. She told me this week that she still likes being “young”. She still builds forts in the living room.
9. Her completely delighted giggles make me smile every time.
10.  I can still make her giggle with delight.

Love you, Ladybug. To the moon, back, to the moon again. And back.