Because I'm Not Already Stressed

Lael will be 7 next month. I'm not even sure how that's possible. I mean seriously, she was JUST born. Ok, maybe not just born, but 7?

She is now in the 2nd grade and with that comes the beginning of her social life. Before it was a few arranged playdates here and there but other than that she just played with her sister.

That has all now begun to change.

Since the end of the last school year she has been talking about a friend of hers that lives here on the base. She wanted a sleepover, a playdate, something.

I blew her off most (meaning ALL) of the summer because I didn't know the girl or her parents. Having a new baby to tend to made it easy for me to put off.

After a few weeks Lael stopped mentioning her and I figured I was in the clear.

Then they saw each other at the pool. And again at the park. And again at the library.

And then school started and they now ride the bus next to each other everyday. So naturally the begging for playdates and sleepover resumed. But also Lael started asking to call her.

I thought I would get away with the whole "I don't know her mommy or her phone number" bit, but no. She whipped out her notebook and there the girls was. Written in the neatest 6yr old writing. I sighed and said we would call her the next week. And I repeated that for a few weeks.

Now you may be asking yourself, what's the problem? Why don't you just let her call the girl.

Well what I didn't tell you is that this little girl isn't just any little girl. She's the daughter of the base commander. The commander of the ENTIRE base that I live on. That's like the president of a company you work for.

Well yesterday she bugged the hell out of me about calling this girl. And you know what? I gave in. I dialed the number (praying her father wouldn't answer) and her mother answered. The mother remembered me and was really sweet and apparently the little girl had been bugging her as well.

I told her that her daughter could call anytime before 8:30 and she said the same went for Lael. I handed her the phone and she giggled so hard that she began to cry. You see, she's never been allowed to talk to friends on the phone before. So this is a new chapter in itself. Of course I had to force her off the phone 30 minutes later but she smiled the rest if the night.

They have a date to call each other again tonight. My little girl is growing up. I am growing with her, because it took her pushing to make me realize it's about the kids not us parents.

I just hope they don't start fighting because confronting the commanders wife about her daughter, well that could become a bit awkward.