Precious commodity

Attention from Emma is not just tossed around.  Her MO is in her room, door shut.  Maybe because Braeden is gone (that kid left a hole the size of Texas when he left), she has come into my room a few times--when I was in there with the door shut. (Introverts unite!  Separately!)

She'll say, "What are you doing?"

I will tell her.

She'll say, "Oh," then, "Do you want to do something?"

And I say yes, because when does that happen?

The other night we rented an episode of What Not To Wear from Amazon Instant Video.  We love watching that show together but since we don't get a lot of TV channels we don't do it very often.  Also, I knew that it was a rare and fleeting opportunity.  Mostly doing something with Emma only happens if she wants it to happen.

Yesterday morning, I found this note by my sunglasses.

She gets up super early every other morning for early morning seminary while the house is still asleep.  (My mom knows I don't get up with her and yes, she disapproves.)  And sometimes she leaves notes on those mornings.

Emma is independent.  She rarely asks for anything.  She wants to do what she wants to do and then she does it.  She always knows how much money she has in her bank account and she keeps her car full of gas.  She is on top of her homework.  Always.  And she doesn't take kindly to suggestions or comments (trust me on this one).  If, on a very rare occasion, she doesn't do her best work on homework, it is like the sky is falling and the end of the world.  She has an iron will and I usually just stand back in awe.

So when she goes out of her way to tell me she loves me, my strong and stubborn and self-sufficient girl, I pay attention.

I love her too.