Cause You, You mean the world to me...... My Love.

My heart broke a little bit tonight.

My baby is most definitely not my baby any more.

Much as I fight the desperate urge to protect her from the world and all its ugliness - I look at her here with all her friends around her, and I know that together they make it a better place to be in!

I thought tonight about the differences between Toolibelle and Boy. There never has been a more different pair of children. Tooli has always been close to three or four girl friends. Boy has always been the center of a mad group of personalities.

Tooli studies and is not happy unless she has studied. Boy plays, and does what he has to.

Tooli has the occassional sleep over, but still enjoys cycling and just chatting with her friends. Boy constantly had a stream of friends round, male and female and they knew how to party safely, enjoying themselves with the minimum of artificial stimulous.

It was funny watching each one, in turn, at different parties succumb to the evil alcohol. Thankfully, Boy succumbed next door, and we managed to get him out and out the house before the dreaded heaving!

Tonight, Tooli's troop were meeting here before heading to an End of Exam party. Parents softening were allowing a "wee drink". I made them cosmopolitans - very soft and gentle, and they loved them. They was no mass clambouring for more alcohol, and they know they have volleyball in the morning and aren't prepared to jeopordize their game.

As I looked at them all standing there (albeit looking up at them from my miniscule height), I thought, they'll be okay! They are sensible girls, and they will all look out for each other.

But I did have to hold back a tear as I watched them all clip clop down the road together.

And then laughed, as I watch one of the kick off the heels and walk bare footed!