Only 5 More Days Until You Turn 10

So our countdown is continuing. Each day as I watch my daughter, I see her personality blossom. She's outgoing as I've mentioned before. She has a sense of humor. And at this very stage in her life, she's boy C.R.A.Z.Y. My oh my, when will that end? When she's 18 or 19?? Every boy she sees that's under 20 is cute to her. Whether in a magazine, on TV or in real life, boys are the stuff her world is made of right now. It's funny, it's almost cute at times but boy does it worry me. I just can't imagine how bad it's going to be when she's 13 or 16. I just wonder how many nerve pills I'll need to be able to handle this! What's worse is that she has a younger sister who tends to follow her lead on things like this. You just don't know how many times I've heard them sitting in their bedroom talking about this boy or that boy and giggling as only little girls can. I try to act like it doesn't bother me because if they think something's getting to me, they'll do it twice as much. Sometimes I try to embarrass them in public when they tell me the boy that just passed by us is cute. I loudly say "oh you're right that boy is very cute". My oldest daughter, hits me on the arm, turns red and says "mom, be quiet, he'll hear you". LOL....my revenge! I really enjoy doing that in a restaurant when they're sitting close enough to us to actually hear me! HAHA! But then I worry because their revenge may be sweeter than mine. I have this certain man that I like, we flirt, we talk and my girls constantly threaten me with telling him anything I say about him. I've learned quickly to not say anything that I don't want him to know! My girls haven't learned that lesson yet....sweet, huh?
I do realize that this boy phase is probably normal. And I hope I'm neither too strict nor too lax in how I react and deal with this. I want my girls to grow up being proud of themselves, their values and morals. I hope that I instill good judgment in them. I hope their choices in life will reflect the good people they are inside. Choices, decisions and judgment calls can be so difficult to make and I'm finding it's even more difficult to teach my children how to make them while maintaining their dignity, pride and loyalty to self. But I'll never give up trying. A parent can't give up on the raising of their children.
Ms. T, in 5 days you will be 10!!! The older you get, the more you'll need to know. I realize you think you know it all now but as you grow up, you'll see that there's always much more to learn. Before you ever do anything, THINK. Think about the good and bad reasons to do whatever you're about to do. Do not ever let anyone pressure you into doing anything you don't want to do. Remember integrity, loyalty, honesty, the qualities that we talk about at home and the same qualities that they teach at karate. They will get you far in life, if you just follow them! Be true to yourself as this is the only way that you'll ever have true pride in yourself. I love you more everyday!