Change..........it's hard.

There have been a lot of things changing around here lately.  The weather- spring to summer.  School ending and enrolling for kindergarten.  A neighbor has moved in nearby with a child the same age as Abby (4-5 years old) that has proven to be challenging with boundaries and Abby has been on several playdates without me with other kids from school.  While all this stuff is exciting, it also has been emotional.    After speaking to an older friend the other night who has three children (now all grown up with children of their own), she hit the nail on the head for me.  She said it is tough because this is the age where you are starting to let the world in.   Talk about an A-HA moment for me!  She was so right.    Up until now the girls and I have participated in everything together, I make up all the fun, I decide who they will play with, when, where etc.  And now, there are other influences in the world that I can't control.   I am not saying this from a controlling point of view.  I say this from the protective point of view- how I want my children to be raised, what influences they will have, to be kind and courteous to others, when to say yes and when to say NO.

I know the best I can do is teach them at home with my husband and family and when they head out into the world HOPE what they have learned at home stays with them.