Imagine That

For nearly two years now, my favorite time of the day was the hours after I got home and before the "bed time process" kicked in - i.e. bath, teeth brush, story time ect.  This was the two hour chunk of my day where I could get on the floor and play with my girls.  It was necessary for me to be involved.  Someone had to bring the stuffed monkey to life, or push the Little Tykes "smart car" around.  The girls loved to play, but they couldn't do/think of these things on their own.  Yesterday I got home and I sat down in their room to play.  I grabbed a stuffed animal and started a little puppet show. ... only no one was watching.  I glanced up to see Genevieve on the floor with a Barbie making it dance and Arianna sorting stuffed animals on her bed, and then trying to feed them pretend soup.  It suddenly dawned on me. ... they don't need me to make play time work any more.  Their imaginations have kicked in and I'm a spectator now, rather than the driving force.  Later we took their little power wheel quads outside and as I went to push them, Genevieve hit the power button and drove off with out me.  I stood in the dust cloud and watched her drive off in to the sunset. ... and then straight for the pond - she can't quite turn yet so I had to run after her and flip it around for her.  I'm probably a little late in my conclusion here, but they haven't been babies for a while.  And now they're barely even toddlers. ... they're little girls.  And while little girls still "need" their daddies. ... they don't need them as much.  Thank god there's another little one on the way; this transition is proving hard on me.