To Laugh or to Cry...

Yesterday my brother-in-law and sister who live two doors down came over for a quick visit. C had so much fun that she wanted to go play at their house for a while. She came home about an hour and a half later so completely excited she couldn’t even speak a complete sentence. We had a heck of a time getting her to bed that night, but were so glad she spent some time with her aunt and uncle. Today before C even got to school she was talking about going to LaLa and Tracy’s house when she got home. Well you guessed it, around 6:00 she started in about going next door. (Now granted LaLa and Tracy love C dearly, she is not there kid and I doubt that’s how they want to spend every evening!!) Needless to say I called next door and they gladly invited C over. She picked up her new car, new flute (tee hee), a box of Kleenex (a courtesy from us since she has a runny nose), and a pair of my shoes and headed next door without even saying goodbye. She walked herself down the sidewalk up to the door and knocked to be let in! Now this might seem like no big deal because she knows the neighborhood and has been next door hundreds of times, but this is the first time she made the whole way without me!! For the past year she has gone in small steps to the front door, but she has never gone in and stayed. She was so grown up and serious about the whole thing that she didn’t even wait for LaLa who was coming to get her. Do I laugh at my little ragamuffin who has taken to changing clothes during naptime at school to avoid a nap or cry because my little one is gaining so much independence?!?