Growing pains

We are moving past the stage of the kids being completely happy in our own little bubble. I don't think I'm ready to move on yet! The last few days, David has begged to go over to the cul-de-sac that we can see from our yard. There are two little boys around my kids' ages that live there and David has really been wanting to play with them. So today I took a deep breath, told myself to let go a little, and let him ride his bike across the lawn and into the cul-de-sac since the other boys were out there riding their motorized four-wheeler things (the slow battery-powered ones!). He went with strict instructions that he was to stay in the cul-de-sac, not the boys' driveway (which I can't see from the yard), and to ride his bike only and NOT the four-wheelers. And so begin the growing pains. Mine -- because up until now my kids have always been perfectly content to just be us, in our own yard. Now they're growing up and want some more diverse social interaction, which is normal and healthy...but also a little sad! Abigail's -- because she was crestfallen that I wouldn't let her go with David, and that David would actually want to go without her. I think this was our first big lesson in the fact that sometimes older siblings get to do things that the younger ones can't do yet. (don't worry; after our brief discussion, I gave her a "special job" that cheered her up very quickly!) and David's -- because, after he had played nicely for a while, he then climbed onto one of the four-wheelers. I immediately walked over and brought him home, where we had a discussion about "If you disobey the rules, that means you are not grown-up enough to go over and play without Mommy..." etc etc. At the news that part of his punishment was that he would not be allowed to go over again all of next week, he was so upset. ...growing pains...