Who Am I?

This morning at breakfast I received a lesson on my standing in the household according to Sienna:

Sienna: "Daddy is mines best friend."
Mommy: "Hmmm, nice of you Sienna. Who else?"
Sienna: "Devin is mines best friend, too."
Mommy: "And who else, sweetest girl?"
Sienna: "Aiden and Payton and Kuwa and 'Berta and Miss Becky and Gama and Gampa and 'Arwey and Kuwa and Daddy and Devin and Gama and Gampa and...oooooohhh, I wuuuuuuuvvvvv Kuwa..."
Mommy: "You have a lot of friends! What about Mommy?"
Sienna: "You not mines friend...you are the mommy..."

Hummmph.

I questioned her even more about it and sure enough, she wouldn't budge an inch on her stance. I was most definitely, in Sienna's eyes, NOT her friend but only "the mommy".

I'll be honest here...I'm not too sure how I feel about that.

This statement came from the child who screamed non-stop from the time she was born til she was 3 months old and still I loved her. The child who has tested me daily with my ability to stay calm in the face of her 2 1/2 year old nature and still I have loved her. The child who has refused to eat any fruit or vegetable or anything for that matter that isn't a hot dog...and STILL I have loved her. The child who will not go to her father when she is upset, despite the fact that I'm usually the one who made her upset...and still I have loved her.

Yet, I am only "the mommy". So, what exactly does that mean?

I understand my role in this thing called motherhood...to love and care and guide my children through life and that being their "friend" is not necessary. I'm sure there will be times where they will hate me, want to trade me in for a new model or even be embarrassed by me or my dancing abilities. I'm positive that being friends the entire way is probably not realistic and that often you hurt the ones you love the most because you feel the safety within that relationship to do so. Yada yada yada...I get it. But still...it stung a bit. I wanted to at least be up there with the dog, for pete's sake!

Yet today when I was putting her down for her nap (after our usual battle had worn itself out) she took my face in her hands and said, "Mommy, pay attention. You are mines special mommy and I wuv you so very much."

Ahhhhhh...insert swelling of the heart here.

Enough said.

I may not be on the same page as the dog in her book, but she will always be my special girl. I'm confident we will have our moments throughout our time together in this life, but for now I am thankful to be just "the mommy."