I took Aaliyah’s booster seat out today.
It’s weird to look back and see her seat be just an ordinary seat now. I’ve watched her grow, watched her become more independent, and watched her nearly every day of her life.
But I don’t like that she doesn’t need a booster seat anymore.
Maybe it’s because with the bucket seats in the back of my Buick, she couldn’t get herself buckled, so she always needed me to buckle her in.
Until this morning. I popped the car seat out, it folded in defeat in the back of the car, and she sat right down and buckled herself.
Then she begged me to play Dutton Ranch Freestyle. She didn’t want to listen to Number One Spot.
I dreaded the first day of school this year. Normally, it’s not a big deal. I take pictures, I take her through the drop off line, she gets out, and I’m headed to work. But the start of school means the end of summer, the return of school time routines, and colder weather. As that one TikTok account would say, “I don’t like that.”
Plus I locked us out of the house this morning. Thankfully Angel works 5 minutes away.
And to top it all off, she doesn’t need the booster seat anymore. Which means she needs me for one less thing. In a long list of things that she eventually won’t need me for.
I’m getting ahead of myself.
She’s already tall for her age. And people tell us all the time how mature she is as well. I forget all the time that she’s only 8 when I expect her to act way older than she actually is. And she’s riding the bus for the first time from school. Not far mind you, but she’s in a vehicle that’s not mine or Angel’s.
I don’t like that.
And she doesn’t need a booster seat anymore.
She wasn’t really hugging me before she got out of the car this morning. I asked her if it was because she didn’t want to hug her dad. I mean, this whole booster seat thing had been sprung on me because she didn’t want to be that third grader in her booster seat on the way to school. So maybe she was too cool to hug dad now?
I was wrong. She couldn’t really give me a good hug from the back seat and she was really excited for her first day back. So at least I still have that going for me.
Oh. I forgot to mention that she didn’t just want new shoes this school year. She wanted Converse. My 8 year old is officially a kick carrying member of the Taylor Gang. Although she would make me turn off Wiz to play Dutton Ranch Freestyle right now. On the other hand, she knows Wiz is from Pittsburgh and told me she thought he died once so there’s that.
Sorry Wiz.
She also got a pair of Vans that she’s crazy about. My sneakerhead genes passed to her too. This is karma for buying the Foamposite Retros off eBay for $300 with my school refund check money in 2007. I just know it.
I really want to get matching kicks now though. Something to keep in mind.
Now she’s asleep and not thrilled that she has to get up early tomorrow so I can go to work. But she won’t sleep in usually on the weekends.
When she wakes up at 7 on Saturday, I’ll remind myself that she’s only 8.
And I still won’t be over the fact she doesn’t need a booster seat anymore.