did we miss the mark???

i knew this day was coming.

this is the conversation i had with little princess on the way home from school today:

little princess... you know billy bob?
me... yeah.

little princess... well, he sent me a note today. then the teacher came into the room, so i threw it away really quick.
me... oh, really? (the thoughts in my head... smart girl... no need to read those silly notes from boys.)

little princess... well, after school, i asked him what the note was about.
me... yeah. (the thoughts in my head... big mistake!... i hope it's not what i think it is.)

little princess... he told me that he wanted me to be his girlfriend.
me (very composed on the outside, i must add)... oh really? what did you say? (the thoughts in my head... yikes!!! it is what i think it is. please tell me you've heard what your daddy and i have been saying...)

little princess... i told him that i just want to be friends and that i don't want a relationship.
me... oh, that's so good. you're very smart to tell him that. (the thoughts in my head... aaahhh, that's my girl. i hope that word gets around. i'm so glad that she's been listening to us. i'm such a proud momma. thank you, Lord! um... she said relationship... that sounds so weird coming from her, i don't like it.)

fast forward to right before supper.

little princess... momma, i don't want to have a boyfriend now.
me... that's good.
little princess... yeah, i don't want a boyfriend until he's old enough to have a car and a job... that way he can take me on dates and pay for everything.

i was speechless.

for the entire afternoon, i was beaming... really. i was thinking she didn't want a boyfriend because she's heard and believes the wise words of her parents. the wisdom about the heartache that comes along with having boyfriend/girlfriend relationships too early... the wisdom about protecting her heart.

all that wisdom... freely given, and she walks away with the desire to wait until the boy is old enough to pay for everything. oh well... at least that gives me 6-8 years to have the other stuff sink in.