Hayleigh.

Today in my teenage angst, I give you The Best of Hayleigh Lawson.

I've been babysitting Carter and Hayleigh for almost two years. I started on Carter's fourth birthday. Hayleigh hadn't yet turned two. After figuring a few things out, the three of us have become best best friends. I'm there almost once a week - bless their parents for needing regular time out - and in that time we have eaten about a thousand pieces of pizza, had innumerable Frozen singalongs, quoted Shrek the Musical (or Usical as Hayleigh likes to say) till our brains fell out, and read the same Incredibles bedtime story four hundred times.

For about a month, when I was finishing school, I didn't see these babies at all. I got heartbreaking texts from their mom reminding me to let her know when I was available because the kids had been asking for me. I missed them desperately. Finally, on Saturday, we were reunited. It was epic. What follows are the highlights of our conversation.

Me: Hayleigh what would you like to drink?
Hayleigh: Five Alive. But we don't have any Five Alive, so I'll have apple juice.

H: Hannah will you paint my nails?
Me: Sure! Let's go find some polish.
H: Are you going to paint my nails?
Me: Yep!
H: You're my best friend. Wanna hold hands?

Me: (laughing at her)
H to Carter: Why is she laughing all the time? [to me] Hey! Why are you laughing all the time?

H [preparing to play catch with a plastic ball]: I'm just going to put my hairclip right here . . .

H: Do you want to use this ball? [smells the ball]
Me [confused]: Does the ball smell?
H: Yep! It smells like ball.

H [watching Shrek burst out of his outhouse]: He's too big for his bathroom. I'm not to big for my bathroom.

H [dealing with her puzzle]: Aww nuts. *This was, I kid you not, said with the exact same inflection and intensity as Michelle Tanner. All  I can do now is wait for the inevitable, "You got it dude!"

H [getting ready for bed, exhausted and moody]: Will you get that down for me?
Me [pulls down a pink bathrobe]: I think this is just for morning time.
H: No I wear it to sleep all the time.

H: Can we wear real pajamas now? I want to wear my Arielle ones. Imagine my [halloween] costume. [Pulls out Halloween costume] See? It matches.

Saturday was unprecedented. In the month that I was gone, Haleigh grew up more than I was aware was possible. I now understand, with new and great conviction, the statement: They grow up way too fast.