My daughter....is like a mini-me. Heaven help me.

My daughter is getting to that age where crushes are pretty common.  She tells me about who has a crush on whom...and in her class, that happens to be a lot.  She decided a couple years ago that crushes were "too much work" and fortunately, for me (and her Daddy), she is still thinking that way.  Our daughter had explained why: "When I was in preschool, I had a crush on Reid.  Katrina also had a crush on him.  And when you have a crush, then you have to try to get his attention.  That's too much work, so I don't have a crush on anyone."

But what happens when someone has a crush on her?  Well, read on.  Today's conversation went something like this:

Daughter: Guess what?


Me: What?


Daughter: Kasie (her friend) has a friend in 3rd grade and her friend told her that a boy has a crush on me.


Me: How did she know that?


Daughter: Her friend heard about it, went up to him and asked.  The boy admitted that he had a crush on me.


Me: Who's the boy?


Daughter: I don't know.  His name is Chris.


Me: You don't know him?


Daughter: No.


Me: Well then how does he know you?


Daughter: I have no idea.


Me: What did you say to Kasie when she told you?


Daughter: So what!?

I sort of feel bad for that little boy.  What attitude she has.  And all my friends can say to me is, "That's you.  She's a little you.  Good luck with that," as they laugh.

Actually, if she keeps on this track, at least she's keeping the boys at bay.  That's a good thing, right?

Kids are growing up so much earlier.  I can't even fathom the thought of a first date.  When are kids starting to date nowadays?  How many more years do I have before I have to worry about her dating?

What I've Learned About Marriage

In less than a month, my husband and I will be celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary.  We've made it through some pretty rough times and while I have to admit it's not always chocolate and roses, we have a good marriage.  We have a good time together, laughing and joking around.  We communicate, but most of all, we sincerely trust and love one another.

This is some of what I've learned over the last 10+ years about marriage about how to make a relationship work.

1. Laugh...a lot, at situations, at life, at yourself.  So much horrible stuff can happen in the world, but if you take it seriously ALL the time, then you'll just be irritated and angry.  Sometimes it's just best to laugh about it and then try to solve the problem, whatever it may be.

2. Let the little things go.  So what if he can't seem to stack the dishwasher properly!  So what that he can't fold laundry.  Is it really that important?  Don't nag him about it...just think about all the things he can do, like clean out the nasty leaves in the drains on the roof or wash the car.  So what if she leaves her makeup on the counter!  So what if she forgot to shut off the heat or a/c!  Don't make her feel bad about it...just think about all the things she did that week: grocery shopping, making dinner, etc.  (My husband still has some work to do on this one, some days. HAHA.)  Just let it all go...and do #1: LAUGH. 

3. Spend some time together in the present - without distractions of the phone, the computer, the kids.  Even if it's just a few moments, laughing about something silly, tickling each other out of the blue, or kissing each other like you did back in the "old days", just do it.  People need that connection. 

4. Remember the good times.  Look back at old photos to remember when.  Think back to when you first met.  All relationships have history.  If you remember your relationship throughout its time - not just when you're arguing about housework or lack of sleep - you'll remember all the things about your significant other that made you fall in love with him/her in the first place.

5.  Don't place too much importance on symbols.  It's not uncommon to hear:  a spouse is upset that his/her significant other doesn't wear a wedding band.  Sure, this could be a sign of a problem - I admit that.  But sometimes that's a symptom of a bigger problem...other times, it doesn't mean anything.  I don't always wear my wedding band.  In the winter months, I apply hand cream like a madwoman or my skin gets dry.  Sometimes I forget to put it back on.  It doesn't mean I don't love my husband.  Likewise, get this: my husband lost his ring a couple years ago.  We haven't replaced it.  Why?  It's just a symbol; it's not the end-all-be-all representation of how much we love one another.  Eventually, we'll get it replaced. It's not on our priority list.

And while I am sure there are other tried-and-true things that make a relationship work, these were the first five that popped in my head...the obvious things like trust, communication, and respect goes without saying, right?