And then...

I just sent Luciya off on her first playdate with a little neighbor girl. This little girl is as sweet as can be and the two of them play really well together, but we have always hosted her at our house.

She started visiting about a month ago, and will ride her two-wheeler bike (she's SIX) up to our house and ring the doorbell and ask, "Can Luciya play?"

Today the doorbell rang and I said the usual: "Sure, why don't you two go out back and make some mud pies?"

But today the neighbor girl asked if Luciya could come to her house.

Brave gulp.

And I did, I sent her off, on her tricycle, pedaling madly to keep up with her little friend as she careened down the road. I stood at the end of the driveway and watched every pedal, watched Luciya stop at the corner to look for cars, cross, pause, see me down the street, and wave. "Bye, Mommy!"

Why do I feel like crying right now?