wisdom from rebekah

**i am NOT saying this is perfect wisdom...but pretty good for a 9 year old! :-)

i have two stories about rebekah.
one is hysterical.
the other is cute.
first, hysterical:
remember when pat took her out for the father/daughter dance a couple weeks ago?
they went to dinner first.
at dinner, the conversation about "dating" came up.
pat wasn't intending to go there necessarily...but it naturally came up.
he and i have discussed this at length but hadn't for sure made our decision.
he made it on the spot {and i was fully supportive!}
he told her she wouldn't be dating any boys until she was 18 years old.
HE was going to be her date until then.
she can go to dances. and out with groups of friends.
but not really date a boy seriously.
he explained that boys don't know what they are doing and will just end up hurting her.
and she will give parts of her heart away to boys that don't know how to take care of it.
and he kept repeating that HE would be her date.
this was the key, i think.
he was "taking something away" but replacing it with something BETTER!
the active and engaged love of her daddy!
she was very responsive and didn't seem upset at all.
she did ask, "what do i say if a boy asks me to date him?"
pat said...jokingly..."just tell him your dad will whoop him!" :-)

the next tuesday afternoon i pick her up from school in the car...
"how was your day, everyone?"
{joshua} good.
{bailey} good.
{rebekah} mom, _____ likes me!
"what?"
_____ likes me!
"how do you know?"
because he told me!
"what did you say?" trying to keep my composure!
i told him i can't date. and that my dad will whoop him.
{rebekah says this to me with no expression. totally matter of fact. i have laughed about it SO hard and SO many times!}
can you imagine what that boy was thinking after that?!?
i guess she gets it...at least for now!

ok.
cute story.
this afternoon, rebekah says to me,
"mom. i don't think bailey is going to get married. i mean, she's so WILD! and she doesn't listen that well. you have to listen to your husband if you are going to be married!" :-)

wise girl, huh??