Backpack

Tonight, I took my kids to go do some back to school shopping.  They needed some new jeans,  couple of shirts, a new backpack and new lunchbox.   Good times. 

My youngest picked out items that were perfect for her.  Things with glittery hearts, cute butterflies, pinks and purples.  It's so innocent and cute.  

My oldest...well, she's been chomping at the bit to get a new backpack.  She wasn't pleased that I had gotten her a pink Hello Kitty lunch kit last year.  To be honest, I didn't realize how much she hated it.  As for her backpack, at least there was a cool monkey on it.  But it was pink.  How dare I get her a pink one!!

So this year, to be on the safe side, I let them both pick these "big ticket" items.  And tonight, I thought I was going to cry at the store when my eldest picked up this one back pack that I would have ever expected she would want.   It's not that it was ugly.  It was actually quite cool!  Beige fabric, a bit of patterned fabric at the edge of some of the pockets, very ruggish looking.  

I wanted to cry because of a number of reasons.  She didn't care what others thought about her bag (I don't see other kids her age carrying a bag like that).  Really happy she didn't succumb to peer pressure on that stuff.   She wore that backpack like a big kid and I find it hard to believe she's that big.  But the biggest reason was when I said she looked like a traveller, a world traveller.  And she said, "yes, this would be perfect for travelling and for future adventures." 

 The fact that she's ready for big adventures and dreams of them...that makes me so happy.  To know that she's growing so fast makes me realize that time is indeed passing by quickly.  And more importantly, the fact that she's confident in the person that she's becoming.  

I know, I know.  Probably totally analyzed the backpack to bits.  But I'm a mom.  I get to cry at these types of moments.