Pea loves men.

I’ve talked about it before. At length. Over and over. I used to find it a lot more charming than I do now, because, well, it’s been going on a while and it’s just getting worse. She introduces herself to every male in a twenty foot radius, no matter where we are. She flirts. She does her dance steps. She compliments. She is very charming.

And I feel guilty for saying it, but –

It is really annoying!

I don’t like being her wingman!

And I don’t want to have to keep pulling my daughter off of random strangers (who are, fortunately, very good-natured about the whole thing). I don’t want to be the person who has to take the trouble of checking her exuberant spirits.

Because it’s not that she isn’t age appropriate. It’s not that her boundaries are off. It’s just that she’s very bright, very enthusiastic, and loves people. And men. And, yes, she loves to show off. And that translates into a most determined flirt. And not a day goes by where (when we go out, which is most days) I don’t end up expending huge amounts of energy keeping her from interrupting other diners, chasing after men and demonstrating her dance steps, or having to politely excuse ourselves from something because I can’t get her to rein it in long enough for us to do what we need to do.

I know this is one of those things that will ultimately take care of itself. I just wish it would be sooner rather than later. Because it is really, really exhausting.