Boyfriends...Already?!

Oh my...my daughter has a "boyfriend"...her 3rd of the school year, actually.

The first was Cooper...actually, Cooper is still in the picture...He's a sweet little boy who is undoubtably ALL boy. He is crazy and silly and wears super hero t-shirts and drives his mother up a wall (she's a friend so I can say that!). He says silly things upon greeting Ava at school, like this morning for example, as we were walking to class with him and his mom and he stepped away and declared, "My eye is falling out!"

Silly. Funny. Boy stuff. 

Ava just stares at him like he's nuts. And then later she'll tell me with a smile that Cooper is silly and makes her laugh. 

We went out to lunch with Cooper about a month ago. He was as silly and crazy as you can imagine any 4 year old boy would be out to lunch at a quiet restaurant with three women (his mom, Ava and her mom!). I won't tell you about all of this antics (I fear his mom might be mortified, though we completely understand his intentions), but he was a crazy,  nutty, "eye falling out" kind of stuff boy. 

Apparently his mom had a little talk with him in the car on the way home. Know what he said...

"I was trying to make Ava laugh"

Oh the things boys do to try to make us laugh. I mean how can you be mad at a little boy, no matter how crazy he was, when he says something like that. 

His mom told him he didn't need to try quite so hard. 

Then there was Charlie. Charlie was short lived on the radar screen. Ava never said anything about him, I'm not sure she actually knew. But one day, while we were standing in line to pick the kids up his mom looked at me with a grin and said, "Charlie LOVES Ava. He talks about her all the time."

Ironically, I went to high-school with Charlie's aunt, so at least I know he comes from a good family. You know, if he ever surfaces on the radar again. 

And then...now...it's Caden. 

Caden registered for school late this year. He was the new boy in late January. Apparently Ava is the friendly smiley one in class who welcomes newcomers. Particularly, sweet, blond haired blue eyed new comers who wear cowboy boots. 

Ironically, one of the first times he met Ava he went home and told his mom about her boots! 

They have been the topic of much discussion this year...Cooper likes them too. They are dinnertime conversation in Cooper's and Caden's houses, according to both of their moms! 

No more pink cow girl boots for Ava! 

So, this new little guy...Caden...guess what he told Ava...

On valentines day, Ava came out of class...shyly walked up to me, blushed and whispered...

"Mom, guess what Caden told me?"

Uh oh.

"What babe."

"That he loves me."

Oh my. 

"Mom. Guess what else?"

There's more?

"What else?"

"That he wants to marry me."

"Oh Ava. Don't tell Dad that!" 

"Mom, when did you meet dad."

Oh dear.

"When I was OLD. In my 20's!" 

"Oh...so you don't meet the person you're going to marry until you're 20." 

"At least 20! Maybe even 30 or 40!" I told her. 

She asked me about it several more times that day.

And THEN!

And then, I bought her these adorable stick on earrings last week. She was so excited to wear a pair to school. We put them on in the morning, she admired her ears in the bathroom mirror and then she asked me a question that almost made me take those sweet earrings right off her ear lobes. 

"Mom, do you think Caden will see my earrings?"

Ack!!! 

I tried to underplay it..."Hmmm...maybe...I dunno." 

When we showed up to school I was standing in the door saying good morning to her teacher with my hand on Ava's shoulder when all of a sudden...

A little boy with Toy Story cowboy boots, tousled blonde hair, and the sweetest grin, comes walking up, crosses his right leg over his left with his toe pointing to the ground, and with both hands in his pockets gave the most awkward little shrug, titled his head and said...

"Good morning Ava."

Oh. My. Dear. Goodness.Gracious. We. Are. In. TROUBLE.

"Excuse us," I said as I looked her teacher in the eye, "While we head out to the ALL GIRLS catholic school up the road for the rest of the year!!!!" 

Just kidding. 

I didn't really say that. 

But if this keeps up... 

 I'm thinking that little Mr. Gap ad boy DID notice her earrings after all...D'ya think?! 

Couldn't God have given her my genes; short, brunette with slightly crooked lower teeth. The combination doesn't cause quite as much trouble as the TALL BLONDE BLUE-EYED pixie that I somehow gave birth to, inherited from Scott's sister...tall, blonde, thin, pretty girl that she is! 

What's a momma to do? 

Pray a LOT! And keep telling her boys are crazy, and a pain in the behind, and that some women "never, ever, ever get married!" 

I did tell her that last little bit in the car on the way home that afternoon when she was asking about marriage. 

I'm hoping it stalls her...at least for a few years.