I suppose it had to happen eventually...

So Annie and I were enjoying some quality playground time after dinner last night.  Toby, Finn and Sadie had left for home, so it was just the two of us, hanging out at the (fully enclosed by a fence except for one small entrance) Tinkerbell playground.  As is usual, we were playing Dora the Explorer.  And by that I mean that Annie was ordering me around and changing the rules every five minutes. 

Then it happened.  She ordered me to stay up on top of one of the large wooden play structures HERE, while she marched her happy self over to the other large wooden play structure over THERE.  Like down 10 twisty wooden steps and across the mulch and past the big kids pushing one another and up a ramp and over a bridge and past several places where she could fall 10 feet to the ground and into a wooden tunnel where I couldn't see her.  And when I followed her, she ordered me back to the other structure.  So I went back over to the top of the other play structure, and like a hawk I watched the tiptop of her little head as she marched around in the striped top that camoflagued her against the wooden planks, got bumped by the big kids, handled everything herself, happily played her game and generally flexed her independence.  It was kind of heartbreaking, and kind of liberating.  I was so happy for her, and sad for me.  Then happy for me, because I realized I could theoretically be letting her play on a swingset in a backyard while I lounged on a chair with an adult drink in my hand...if only I had a backyard with a swingset. Then I was sad again, and not about the lack of a big backyard and margarita.    

She is so incredibly grown up.  She uses big words and thinks abstractly.  She is michevious and funny and so smart.  And she wants to run around the playground without me hovering.  So I guess I have to let her.  But I promise you one thing - next time I'm putting her in a bright pink shirt.