Growing up too fast!

I am feeling like my girls are really growing up WAY too fast for my liking. Even though my oldest and I do not always see eye to eye (I cannot even imagine what the next 10 years will have in store for us!) it makes me so very sad to see her growing up. She needs me less and less and wants me even less than that! She is only in 2nd grade and she is having social issues with friends...not major but important enough to a 7 year old. She's had a "boyfriend" since preschool. Yes, it has been the same boy this whole time and NO, her father cannot stand it but he has become quite accepting of it and he is understanding little girls more and more every day! Does she know that she will ALWAYS be my baby? In fact, do they all know that they will always be MY babies??? I cannot even imagine letting them go...I can't even let them walk in to PREP class by themselves yet and that is at a Catholic school!

It seems much easier for me to handle with the middle two. Maybe because they will never be the first one to grow up and I can hang on to them for a bit longer. But I have to say, the youngest makes me especially sad too. She has started to go potty, even letting us know sometimes when she has to go. That's the beginning of the end, isn't it? I must say that I am enjoying my time at home with her immensely! I actually feel quite guilty that I never had this kind of time with my other three. I was either working or there was always another baby around to be tended to or preschool that we had to get to. There was always something else taking my attention away from them. But now it is just the two of us during the day. We run errands, we go to lunch, we read books and play and I love it! I hope she does too.

So, how do you hold on just a little bit longer? I often ask them if they would stay little for just a bit longer for me and they always give me the same answer, "No! I want to grow up!" I just want to tell them "don't be in such a hurry girls! Slow down and have fun!"