In exactly 10 years from now, when my Smudge turns 18 years old and is itching to flee the nest her daddy and I have so happily crafted for her, there will be a flood of memories that will make the separation just a little bit easier.
Narrowing those memories down to a list of even the top 50 is nearly impossible. But I can certainly try. At the top of that list so far would be: The snuggles she shares with us each and every morning in “the big bed”; Swing dancing about the living room as we belt out One Direction songs in our pre-teen, boy-band dance-a-thons; The smell of her strawberry red hair that frames her sweetly freckled pug nose.
There will be plenty of other memories that will emerge over the next decade, new flights of fancy that will bump one or two award winners from the top ten list. And I can’t wait for all of us to experience each and every one of them together.
But when I think about my girl and her pre-teen years I will always be struck by the amazingly strong friendships she’s already developed at this oh-so-young of an age. I seriously don’t remember having such a gaggle of besties before hitting the halls of junior high school as a 5’10” 7th grader whose best friends topped out at 5’4”. At least she and I will have that in common.
Smudge and her pals are an energetic and creative group who are all about gathering at our house. Hello to pre-teen “hang outs.” Goodbye to “play-dates” that are so first grade.
Dress up, role-playing and lots of boy-band music, this exact scenario honestly happens just about weekly at our house. I had to capture it on video because soon enough they’ll have moved onto yet another pre-teen lark.
This time around, the plans have been set, the invitations have been made and the dresses have been chosen. These ladies are nothing if not detail oriented.
Now all that’s left is to put the guests in their places and share a chocolate-flavored toast to Pippa’s big day.
There are three things that are always at the center of these lady’s time together at Casa del Larsen:
1. Snacks and drinks (duh, they’re kids)
2. Directing the dogs (because they can)
and
2. Dreaming about what life will be like when they’re older (ahem, they’re pre-teens)
Thankfully through this video, their childhood stories are not only imprinted in my memory bank, but will be reflected upon right before my eyes as many times as I want—or need—to remember their youthful 8-year-old lives.
And that makes me very happy. Cheers!
This post is brought to you by Silk. Take the Tastemaker Challenge on facebook.com/silkUS.
All content, ideas and words are my own. Thanks for supporting these sponsors that allow me to create new content like this for FoodieCrush.
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective
Heidi! I don’t know how I missed this when you first posted it, but OH MY WORD!! You are a creative genius and I’m so glad to call you my friend. Merry Christmas!
:) Thanks Sommer
Davina Sanchez
Congratulations Pippa and Skippy Jon Jones! Lovely Wedding!
Kristy @ Sweet Treats & More
Oh my gosh this video is so cute! and so beautifully shot!!
Lauren
So beautifully shot :) Reminds me of being a little girl with tons of fancy boas! <3 I'm interested though, what kind of camera did you use? The shots are beautiful! Cheers
<3 Lauren
katie
Ahhh Heidi–this is so dang cute! Beautiful video!
Kathy @ Food Wine Thyme
Adorable, simply adorable. Your daughter will be so glad to have this to look back at when she’s older.
julie
That is darling. As a mom to a soon to be 2nd grader…this makes me cry happy. And Smudge is a real beauty…like her mama.
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious
Awwww too stinking cute! I enjoyed every second of it – from the dress up on the dogs to the fancy dresses of the girls. It was so adorable! Now I need to get me 3 dogs, and tell Jason that we need to start having kids! :)
patti
I can’t begin to tell you how much I loved the video, I was laughing through the tears in my eyes.
I am so very proud of you, you continue to amaze me. What a fabulous parade of adorable ones.
Cheers to Silk.
Tesei
I love this post! Congratulations for such a lovely family, thank you for sharing!!!!
Adrienne k
All that’s missing are the candy cigarettes and it’s me when I was little!
Michelle
OMG woman! do your talents not end? Great video!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Aw this is adorable :) looks like a lot of fun. What type of dog is the tiny black one? I’d love a dog like that!
Holly
LOVE it!! The girls loved watching it too and they want to see it aired on Disney channel! So adorable <3
Erin
So fun! I love the pre teen years!
Kristen
You are so darn talented, Heidi. Seriously. I kind of don’t like you right now ;)
Kidding! Love this video and the dogs and the sweet tweens!
Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out
This was just adorable. I think my favorite part might have been the dogs going the opposite direction…and then the little one turning around and following (somewhat unsure of what they were about to do) when the girls came to get the big dogs. Too funny.
Kim
Love it! Those girls look like they the the best time!!
Tieghan
Heidi! This video is so cute. It put a huge smile on my fave. Beautiful job!! The pups and your girls are to cute!
Shelley Agricola
Heid-This brought me to tears-the good kind!! Adorable cast of characters.
Goodbye almond milk, hello Silk!
Annalise
What a fun video! One I’m sure both you and Smudge will treasure forever!
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking
So presh! When I was Smudge’s age (man, that makes me feel old) we used to have troll doll weddings! Hahaha! Such great memories.
Flavia
This is the absolute cutest video I’ve seen. Your Smudge is so sweet and her friends are adorable. And your pups just take it over the top–what superstars!
judith q stewart
Darling~ absolutely darling ! you should show the people at Silk…this would be a better TV commercial than the stuff they pay the big bucks for in advertiser land agency’s !…
and i’m a 69 year old grandmother…if this was on TV I’d be running to the store to Purchase Silk !
Your Smudge is so fortunate to have you…you are a dear sweet Parent, to her friends as well…and those puppies :)
Judith, you are the best. Silk Soymilk asked me to create the video for them and you never know, maybe you’ll see it in other areas soon! Thanks as always for your sweet comments, they mean so much. Best to you!!
Barbara | Creative Culinary
This video is precious and yes, it made me weep a little; seems only yesterday my girl was 8 and without a care in the world.
Beautiful job Heidi; the girls are adorable but those dogs…well, they ‘almost’ steal the show!
Barbara, I surely bet you can relate, it goes way, way too fast! And our dogs are pretty good at hamming it up :)
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough
I love this so much. So, so much. And those pups crack me up :)
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
OMG Heidi, OK first off, your daughter is the cutest thing ever. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE this video. . so precious and very creative. . I love it! Only thing, now you will have all moms thinking about when our little ones will get married. . *sigh*
Great video for Silk. . fabulous job!
Ha! Oh Alice. Don’t they all think about that all the time, at least they’re redirecting the focus :) Thanks so much for your nice words. XO
TidyMom
Heidi, that video just made me smile!! LOVE that! how adorable. You amaze me girl!
Lori @ RecipeGirl
YOU produced this video??? It’s darling! And why didn’t I have you do my cookbook trailer???? Next time, dear. Next time. I had no idea you were so talented w/ video too :)
Oh my word! Let’s do it! Thank you Lori.
Karista @ Karista's Kitchen
Precious beyond words. Adorable! What a lovely and treasured gift for Smudge and her Besties. And Mom too :)
Lauren Grier @ (Climbing Grier Mountain)
This video just made my day! Smudge is adorable. Cheers!
Kalyn
Very fun! It looks like you might have the world’s best collection of dress-up clothes!
Hi Kalyn. We definitely have a selection of dress-up, but most of it ends up on the dogs. As you can see :)
Liz
Girls look so cute. What a fun time for them and wonderful memories. Thanks
erin
Seriously love this! The video is wonderful and of course I love all the shots with the dogs :)
Deborah
That is seriously so cute!! And your dogs are so cooperative – mine would be hiding under the bed!
Our pups have been put through the paces, it’s old hat to them at this point since they’re the girl’s favorite ‘toys’.
Jeanine
this is so precious… cracks me up :).