Genuine Girl Day

We woke to clouds on Sunday, and that was after only five days of sun reaching record temps into the 90's.  My daughter was a little disappointed because Sunday was the day when her best buddy was coming to spend the entire day and night with us and she had planned a lot of outdoor activities to entertain her friend.

We picked up the friend first thing in the morning and took her with us to church.  I was a volunteer in my daughter's Sunday School class which was crowded with 15 boys and only 5 girls.  During the regular school year, the kids at this age are broken into grade level classrooms of boys and classrooms of girls. The number of girls has always been slim.  Something must have happened in the year '98/'99 because my daughter has always been out numbered by boys at school and church. One day she will like that ratio.  But for now, she really does not see it as a perk. However, I must say that the boys were very well behaved and so fun to listen to and get to know.  I was secretively wishing that my boy was in this grade level because they would be a great group to hang out with.

After church we came home to sunshine. My daughter was so excited!  The girls played outside in the Slip-n-Slide and pool.  Their laughter was contagious and great background music while I baked a plum pie, apple pie, and banana bread from our soon-to-spoil fruit.

The girls are both reading the Anne of Green Gables series. My mom lent my girl the first two movies of the series and they watched that together; making comments along the way and chatting. It was complete girl-time as my husband took my son on an all-day-adventure (blog post tomorrow).  So all day it was just me, the two girls, and our girly dog Cora ~ who enjoyed being included with loads of attention!

My husband made pizza dough before he left in the morning and the girls assembled pizza for dinner. It turned out great!

Although the clouds returned in the evening, the girls wanted to return to the pool at 8pm.  They swam for a good thirty minutes before heading inside for warm showers and dessert before bed.  They giggled and talked and I just couldn't bring myself to asking them to quiet down or go to bed.  Thankfully my son and husband got home later than expected. Which helped the later chat time for the girls since nobody else was home that needed their sleep.  It was close to midnight by the time my son arrived home and was ready for bed.  I finally asked the girls for lights-out-time and they obeyed and settled right to sleep.  It could not have been more perfect.

They slept in until Cora missed them too much.  She snuck away upstairs when I wasn't paying attention to give a morning kiss on the back of the neck to our friend. Cora loved having another kid in the house that spoiled her with hugs and cuddles.  She just couldn't wait to get the girls up and get on with her day.

I met the mom of our friend at the swimming pool mid-day where we chatted while the kids swam.  The girls really enjoyed their hang-out time.  They are very similar in personality, but just enough difference to make it work and keep it exciting.  It will be fun to see how their friendship continues to grow and I pray the healthy connection stays.  It is a family worth keeping, and a girl that is so genuine and honest; a great influence both ways.

My baby girl is growing up.  Sleepovers, girl only time, hanging out, becoming her own person, choosing good friends.  Thankful!