So hard letting go.

So this weekend my oldest daughter J is travelling to Montana w/ my parents and youngest siblings for a wedding. She's spent a couple of nights away at a time before so i know how to manage but she's never travelled away w/out me before. She's growing up so much!

We went yesterday to get an outfit for her to wear to the actual wedding and I couldn't get over the amount of fashion opinion she's really developed. I mean, all of my girls have their own sense of style but she's really learning what styles she likes and all the things and colors she doesn't like.

Today before my mom stopped by to get her she decided to pack her own bag and informed me that I didn't need to do it for her because she'd remembered to pack 2 outfits and clean underwear but I did need to get her some pajamas since there were none in her dresser drawer. Then the things I did she stood by and supervised to make sure they were what she wanted. She's just getting so darn independent.

I love her and her new found sense of self but it's just so hard letting go of the little girl and embracing the 'big girl' that she is truly becoming. She's only 6yo! I'm just so darn proud of her though and the little lady she is.

Yesterday evening when we were shopping I allowed her to get a cup of popcorn chicken from the deli counter and since we really hadn't had dinner I gave her 2 pieces to eat on our way up to the check out lanes. After eating them she looked at me and informed me that I was not being good, that she knew I didn't pay for them first. She was right. I told her just that too as the cashier (yes, this was a discussion that continued as we were putting things on the belt) told her that it was ok, she doesn't care if you eat all of it so long as you bring the cup up to pay for it. J gave her and I a funny look and I knew it was my turn to step up. I told the cashier that I knew they didn't really care so long as it was paid for in the end but that we were trying to really instill values in our kids and working on teaching them that until it's paid for it's not ours and if it's not ours and we take it then that is stealing, no way around it. The cashier said that that was good but she didn't mind, I just said that I did, praised J for reminding me on the rules and then changed the topic. After that she just beamed until we were done.