If my tweenager goes through any more milestones on the road to becoming a woman in the next few months, I'm going to keel over. I swear it didn't all happen at once like this with Darling Daughter. But as soon as I let Tweeny (I can't call her Wee One anymore, for sure!) sit in the front seat, it went bam bam bam bam! A whiplash launch into womanhood.

There have been so many changes since she started seventh grade. I have to say, she's been handling the welcome-to-a-woman's-world thing pretty well; taking the bewildering, awkward rites of passage in stride. Having a sister who's seven years older to emulate certainly hasn't hurt. And thank heavens DD is there to fill in the gaps Mom misses.

And while she's left it behind with hardly a second thought, it's hard for me to say goodbye to her childhood. All moms feel this, I know, dreading the day when the baby dolls are moved out to make room for the trappings of a teenager. I didn't notice it so much last time because the picture books and Easy-Bake Oven were just transferred from Darling Daughter to her little sister, but now the next stop for the toys will be Goodwill. No more Polly Pockets. No more dress up (at least not the kind that involves fairy wings and tutus), no more tea parties, and no more Happy Meal trinkets . . . on second thought, I won't miss those so much.

I guess it's best to look forward to the experiences ahead rather than mourn the ones gone by. But don't blame me if I keep a Barbie or two.