Letting the apron strings out

It is really hard as a mom to let go of your kids and let them do things on their own so to speck. Let me give you a example: My daughter is 16 she went through drivers Education in the summer and she can't wait until she can drive( there goes more gray hair for me) anyway she hasn't gone to take the test yet to get her permit, which is probably a good thing. She came home from school the first day and says mom I really need a cell phone and can I get a house key? Oh and by the way I really need an email address. I am like hold on there that is a lot in one sentence! I have been pondering a cell phone for her for a while now anyway, but I really didn't want to put her on my plan because it would cost more so we decide that we would get her a cell phone that is pay as you go. Can we go get it now she ask! This child is wasting no time!! We went to wal-mart and got her a virgin mobile phone it has roll over minutes so I thought that was good, well I forgot to get the card that you have to get to start up the phone, but they let us use our debit card. She was so excited and couldn't wait to use it! I explain to her that it is not to talk for hours on because it would use up all her minutes. Well I am glad we got her the phone because it really has come in handing for the two weeks that she has had it now! The reason she wanted the house key was so if her friend and her wanted to walk home from school instead of me picking them up than she could get in the house without waiting for me to show up! Well, here's a little of letting the apron strings out, it is a long walk from high school to our house and so of course I am a worrier, but here is where the cell phone comes in! I call her to see how far they have gotten! She tells me where abouts they are and that makes me feel better! Now about the email address! That is another thing I was pondering about, but she said she needed for her drama class. I broke down and let her have an email and had my oldest son set it up for her. It is really hard for me to see my kids grow up wanting to do things on there own and even harder for me to let those strings go! Last night was open house at the high school so I went with my daughter and met all the teachers and we get to the last class which is biology and the teacher is telling us about the class and she gets to the part where every year they go on a field trip to the aquarium in Cailfornia. That's really cool! She is saying how they go behind the scenes and get to touch the animals and that they go out to lunch and whale watch for three hours!! She also says she needs chaperone so I am like cool, but I decide I should ask my daughter if she would want me to before just putting myself down, so I did and she said that would be ok!! When they go on this trip they leave at 3AM and don't get back until 1Am, but it sounds like a lot of fun! I guess this whole growing up thing is as hard on the parents as it is on the kids because they want to be on their own and do stuff, but they have their parents saying no or not right now it is just really hard I think on me more than on my husband! I remember the day my oldest son came to me and said mom Joey and I are looking for an apartment we are moving out! I am like what, can't wait stay for another year save money? He says to me mom every chick has to leave the nest sometime, I am like yeah but does it have to be now? That has been almost 3 years now and I still have a hard time with it, not as bad, but still isn't easy! As you watch your kids grow it makes you wonder Where did the years go? It really is hard being a parent!