"I want to hold my Mommy!"

We went on a road trip this weekend to visit my in-laws. They live 3.5 hours away, so my children don't get to spend a lot of time with them. Because of that, the time they have together is extra special, and  since Stephanie is 2 and has an amazing memory, she feels comfortable around my mother-in-law and loves to play with her.

I got a nice break the whole time we were there, because Stephanie just wanted Grandma to do everything for her. I'm used to this, since she does the same thing with my parents whom she sees on a weekly basis. (When we're at their house she physically pushes me out of the bathroom to tell me only Nana can help her go potty, and she only lets Nana or Grumpy play with her and give her food.)

I know how hard it is for my MIL to not spend much time with her grandchildren, so seeing the two of them bond was very heartwarming. It also showed that despite the distance, my little ones feel a connection to her. And since Stephanie insisted on having Grandma play with her the entire time, Dan and I actually got time to relax. (Joseph was very well-behaved, which helped.)

There is definitely a small part of me that is sad to see Stephanie growing up so quickly and becoming so independent. But that small part is far out shadowed by how proud I am of her for not needing to cling to my leg when we're around other people. We've raised her in a way that lets her know she's safe and secure even if we aren't right by her side. She knows that there are other adults in her life who she can trust, so she is comfortable spending a weekend without much mommy time.

But on the way home today, this lack of mommy time did catch up to her, and as we crossed the border of our little state she started to cry. I drove the last 20 minutes home listening to her sob in the back seat, saying over and over "I just need to hold my mommy!" It was as if she sensed that the trip was over, we were heading back home, and the novelty of being on vacation was gone. After all, she's only 2 years old, and little ones still need lots of mommy cuddles!

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