The First Phone Number

When the Big O was in first grade, she came home one day and said she "liked" a boy named Donovan. A year later she played on a basketball team with him, I was the coach, and she still liked him. I got to know him a little more, I knew him from working in the school at lunch. He's a nice boy, always uses his manners around me. Anyway, O told Donovan that she liked him, of course he got nervous, and they stopped playing on the playground and in PE together. Over the last couple years she's "liked" other boys, and that usually lasts a couple weeks.

So here we are, 4 years later, and she told me one day that she likes Donovan again. She had told the CEO first, and was nervous to tell me, but finally got around to it. The other night I was downstairs on the coach, and the CEO came down and told me O wanted to talk. I went back up, and she was crying. She asked if I thought she was a "girly-girl". After finding out what she meant by that, I told her that she isn't a girly girl, she's tough when she needs to be, feminine when she needs to be. I told her she's just like the CEO in that regard. I went back downstairs, and the CEO thought O had told me the news, that she asked Donovan for his phone number.

Two days went by, O never told me that she had the phone number. An opportunity came up, and I asked if she called Donovan. She blushed, said no, and we talked about her having the phone number. We talked about not over doing it, trying to play it cool and just enjoying being his friend. I also told her that I hope she feels comfortable talking to me about things like this, even though I'm a guy. She just kind of smiled, nodded and went back to shooting.

O and I have always been close, I've always felt like she could talk to me, and I think she feels the same. She likes me to tuck her in every night, and I like doing that too. But lately, she seems to be going to the CEO more often with sensitive material. I understand it, it makes sense. Obviously Kristin can relate to her better, and the things that she's going through. But I don't want to be there only for the superfluous conversations, I want to be there for the tough questions too, at least some of them :)

She lost her last tooth two nights ago as well. What a difference between the reaction from her and us from losing the first one and the last one. Instead of jumping up and down, getting excited about losing it, the anticipation of the Tooth Fairy arriving with a gift, she basically handed the tooth to the CEO and went to bed. No notes to the Tooth Fairy either.

It's tough having a child going through all these changes, being so "grown up". I have to keep remind myself that I'm not losing her, or if I'm losing her as a little child, I'm getting a more mature child who I can go through new trials, tribulations and triumphs with. I want her to know that I'll always be there for her when she needs me, that I'll be her biggest fan.