The three older girls are good friends and very nice girls to be around. I couldn't be happier with her choice in friends. Normally three can be a crowd but it never seems that way when they are together. I wasn't exactly sure how the day would go but shortly after we arrived, I let them go off on their own. I tried to keep up with them but they were moving fast so I thought it best to give them parameters and time frames and we connected to wifi to stay in touch with Grace's iPod and my phone. Long gone are the days of asking the time from shopkeepers, like I used to do...I didn't always have a watch.
Jean and I roamed the stores we chose but it isn't easy to shop with her. She felt we should only look for things for her. I didn't buy a darn thing for myself! Her mind was on shoes, of which she already has a fetish for but the right ones were hard to find. We met up with the older girls and they were having a blast. They found things they liked but had to think on it (good shopping rules to have), they browsed through so many different items such as home decor, the Apple Store, high heel shoes, skin care...the list goes on. By the time we sat down for lunch, they were chatting away and exchanging photos that they took. Before we left the mall they went back to a couple more stores to make some purchases and we grabbed a treat and left. We made a quick stop to another show store for Jean and then came home. They had a great time.
I did as well. One thing I didn't realize is how bittersweet it was and how emotional it made me. My girl is growing up way too fast. She is now enjoying activities that I remember loving to do as a preteen. I was basically the chauffeur for the day and other than paying for lunch and a pair of shoes, Grace and her friends were on their own and could do it all. The shopkeepers were so wonderful to the girls (I did my best to check in frequently) and it was a great learning experience for them. The mall was filled with young girls with their moms trailing after them...I wasn't the only one and it felt very safe to be there.
I love every stage of parenthood. Each age almost seems more fun than the last but this next stage for Grace is really going to be hard. It's going by way too fast; she still shows signs of being a young kid at times but they are fewer and farther in between. She goes away on her own more than ever - skiing with friends, sleepovers at family members and other activities that take just her away from us.
I will just have to continue to take a deep breath and be here for her. It's all good!
