My Sweet Lily:
Early Saturday morning your best friend's Mom texted me and asked if you would like to have a sleepover with Annie. Annie has been your best friend since pre-k and you two talk about sleepover's all the time. We tried once before on your sixth birthday, but it was botched.
What happened was, Annie tried to sleep at our house and things were going well until about 3am when she decided that she wanted to go home. At the time we only lived about ten minutes from Annie so her Mom came right over and got her.
I finally went to sleep that night around 4am and quickly decided sleepovers at your young age were no longer negotiable. That was May of last year and since then you girls have been plotting for the next sleepover. For months you talked about trying again on Annie's birthday which was at the end of September.
Considering we NEVER leave each other on the weekend, I wasn't looking forward to trying the sleepover again although I never had to deal with it because September came and went and the logistics of the sleepover didn't quite work out.
So when Annie's Mom texted me yesterday morning and my heart palpitations finally stopped, I decided maybe today would actually be a good day to try this sleep over thing again and the ONLY reason I even considered it is because I know how desperately you wanted it.
Maybe the fact that it wasn't going to be at my house and I would have a chance to get a good night's sleep made it sound even more like a better idea. Monday morning comes real quick when you don't get a good night's sleep on the weekend. And it also helped that I trust Annie's Mother completely with you.
So I thought about it and ran it by your Dad and he immediately said no as he does to most things, until I explained to him that this was about you and having your first real sleepover and not about us missing you.
So there it was, TODAY was the day you would have your first sleepover. January 9th, 2010. Your first real all night not interrupted at 3am sleepover! I explained to you that we live over thirty minutes away from Annie now and if you get sad or scared in the middle of the night Daddy and I were not going to be able to come and get you. So if you decide to have this sleepover, this is it, you are sleeping over. until the next morning.
You agreed and I could tell you were honestly committed to it. You were ready. So Annie and her Mom came over and got you and you headed off to see Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel. You headed back to our old 'hood to see the movie and then went for pizza at our old favorite pizza place. You then went back to Annie's, watched part of another movie and then went to bed.
Annie's Mom and I texted back and forth during the night and she let me know when you were finally sleeping.
You got up once during the night to go to the bathroom and Annie's Mom helped you back into bed. Then you woke up VERY early in the morning because Annie's room gets the morning sun. There's something about you that seems different when I haven't seen you for a little while. I don't know what it is, but it happens every time.
I always tell you that you just look more beautiful but maybe it is just the experience that you just had. The knowing just a little more who you are, how tough you are and that you can sleep away from us and be okay. That you can do alot of things without us and still always be okay.
All my love,
Mama
