8

Mya is at my favorite age. I say that about all of the ages but 8 is actually the perfect age. It's old enough to have a conversation with, play a board game with (and possibly beat me), help around the house (and do a good job), go to any restaurant and sit still, and she's not embarrassed of me yet, which is coming soon I'm sure.

Something I love about her is that she will talk to anyone about anything. I get nervous, however, when she starts to talk to a grownup, especially someone we don't know. I never know what she's going to say. I try to encourage it though because talking to people with confidence is a life skill that some people my age have yet to learn. It still makes me nervous though.

One time at Target, she asked the light skinned African American Target employee if she was related to the other light skinned African American Target employee. My eyes popped open and I just laughed nervously. The Target employee was super cool about it and laughed too. We had a conversation about how we probably shouldn't assume people with the same color skin are related.

We ran into Winter's kindergarten teacher and her husband outside an ice cream shop. They were walking their dog. Addie asked her if the man next to her was her dad. She laughed and told her it was her husband. Then Mya asked, "So... is your dad dead?" She laughed again and told Mya that he was very much alive and well. It's good that she's a kindergarten teacher because I'm sure she's used to inappropriate questions on the daily. We had a conversation about how we don't ask people if their parents are dead.

We went to visit some old friends who Mya had never met before. We spent all afternoon at the beach and then back to their house for dinner. As we were leaving Mya said, "Bye! Oh and if you have birthday presents for me you should give them to me now because you're probably not going to see me before my birthday." Her birthday was two weeks away. We had a conversation about how we don't ask people for presents. It's optional.

One time when we were walking back to our car from Target, (yeah we pretty much live there) Winter and Mya spotted a lady walking to her car parked nearby, carrying a new unopened Barbie and accessories. Mya asked, "Do you have a daughter?" The lady was alone but I guess she had to go shopping for a birthday gift without her daughter. They had a whole conversation about how she picked the perfect present. Both Mya and Winter told her she did a good job. The lady drove away happy with her choice. We had a conversation about how they made her day.

And lastly, we were at Target AGAIN. It's a half a mile from my house okay? And there are no grocery stores in Azusa. As the Target employee was ringing up my groceries, she asked how my day was going. I sighed and said, "Okay, how about you?" Before she could answer, Mya chimed in, "She has four kids." Mya always asks me why I had so many. Easy for her to say. She's the first.