Forever and Ever

I was driving the kids home from a morning of swim when I heard Ella's voice from the backseat making an unexpected statement "I don't want to go to college." Huh?? I'd like to think I don't put that much pressure on my kids that they're worried about college already. She followed it up by saying "I don't ever want to get married."

Ok. Now I totally knew where we were going with this, but I asked her why just to make sure. Her obvious (to me) response was "Because I always want to live with you forever and ever!!!"


Every once in awhile Ella gets in these moods where she just is so adament that she will never get married (despite playing wedding and marriage all the time with her sister) because the idea of living apart from mom and dad is just too much to think about. I try and reassure her that she can live with us as long as she wants to (I know, I know, I'll be eating my words when she's 25 and still mooching of us). I don't try and convince her that honestly, there will be a day when she does not want to live at home any longer. That is something her 4 1/2 year old brain just cannot grasp. Also, I don't think there was a time for me that I was dying to be away from my parents. I came home for holidays. breaks and some summers during college so the time I truly moved away was after I got married. Even though I was so excited to begin my married life with Matt, it was a bit scary to really move away from home.

So I can understand Ella's fears and I try to make her feel secure. For some reason on this trip I started talking about how when I got married I got to live with "daddy" and how that was exciting. That simple sentence opened a whole can of worms as far as my girls were concerned. The rest of the ride was them asking me questions "why did you and daddy fall in love", "how did you meet", "where did you meet", "why did you like each other" "did you say each other's names when met?' Remember these are 4 1/2 year old questions - Catherine kept asking for "more stories about the wedding".

It was such a cute time with them. Ella decided on her own that Shannon introduced me to Matt and Greg introduced Matt to me. I can track her thought process because we had already talked about me living with Shannon in college and that Shannon and Greg met in college.


When we got home they decided they wanted to watch our wedding video. It started with about 10 minutes of pictures of Matt and I growing up and then us together. They loved pointing us out and the other people they recognized. Catherine cracked me up when she said "Hey, that's Gram Pam. I know her." Yes, Catherine, she is your grandmother. Another funny part was during the rehearsal when I pointed out to Ella that the dress I was wearing is one she likes to use for dress up. Then they asked where my wedding dress - thankfully it is stored safely away at my parents' and they won't be geting their hands on it any time soon!

I had fun watching the girls and listening to their comments and questions. I still don't think that Ella is ready to even process moving away from home at some point in the future - which is just fine with me. She'll have enough to deal with when she finds out we're leaving for the beach tomorrow!