Big Shoes to Fill

Well, the day is almost here when one of my daughters can say she is as tall as I am. For those of you that know me, that's not saying much. In my stocking feet, if I stand really tall, I make 5' 2", maybe minus 1/2" on the days when I've carried W all day. Over the past year, my two daughters have repeatedly amused themselves with measuring how tall they are and how their line compares with the line on the door jamb labled "Mommy".

I knew it was all over when the younger daughter, complained that her shoes were too tight every few hours for a year. She went from a seven to a size 10 Wide women's in one year! This was a relief in some respects, for she was no longer able to run to the muddy barn in MY shoes. But finding shoes that look appropriate for an 11 year old in a size 10 wide is no easy feet (I mean feat).

A. measured in only 1/4" less than my height today. Okay, so I'm hanging on to that last shred of being taller. I wonder what it is going to be like to look up to my little girl, who still occasionally needs a hug and holding. Should I sit on her lap to comfort her? Books on parenting don't give tips on this subject.

You can see it in her bones - she is going to follow in the footsteps of my tall husband's side of the family. L, on the other hand, seems destined to be a petite woman like me. She is happy with her fate, as she knows anyone can be tall - by being on the back of a horse.

As they grow, I wonder if the effects of carrying a 30 pound toddler around will cause me to shrink further. Perhaps with all the nostalgia for decades past, platform shoes will come back!