on the importance of preschool BFFs

Today Annabel has her first official playdate since being in Georgia. Hooray!

This is a big deal for her (and for us). I think every parent wants their kids to have positive social experiences, and we felt like she got really short-changed over the past year. It was really difficult to schedule any consistent times with kids her age. So...one of our big hopes for her in Georgia has been that she would find those few special kids who can be her childhood BFFs.

Most kids had those, I think, in one form or another - even if it was their own siblings. I totally remember my preschool best friends. Amy, David, Katie, Kristine...those first relationships were super instrumental in my early understanding of how other people experienced me, and it gave me the groundwork of confidence that people would actually like me. I so want those experiences of kinship and acceptance for Annabel. She's basically an only child at home because Levi can't really play with her yet, so we are jealous for those positive playtimes for her.

So, needless to say, we were really excited this past week to find out that the new family moving in down the street has three girls, and that the youngest is three. Annabel often plays better with kids a bit younger than her, and is also intimidated by older boys, so we hoped this would pretty much be a perfect set-up.

At the risk of being stalker-ish, we stopped by twice while they were moving things in. Initial signs pointed to a home run for our two girls. They played together beautifully, and their house is wonderfully stocked with fabulous girly toys of all kinds.

And  BONUS: we really enjoy her parents too - and they know our co-workers. Score all the way around. Because let's be honest: Nate and I could definitely use some friends too! (AND, as if this situation could get any better, our neighbor is also involved in opening up a new pizza place in town and is giving us free pizza coupons! Clearly this friendship was meant to be.)

Nate went with her for the playdate so I'm sitting here with Levi (who is performing impressive gymnastic feats in attempts to escape his high chair), and I can't wait for her to come home and tell me how it went.

This is probably the first time of all our moves that I've been SO focused on the impact of a new place on my kids. So far she's either been too young or we were moving to my parents' house, and I knew that would be like a year at Disneyland, so I had no worries there. But you never really know how things will be, what the schools will really be like, what your neighbors will actually be like and what their pet peeves about you will be.

So it's nice to be able to say...as far as Annabel is concerned, so far so good, on all counts. She is loving it here and has been from literally the moment we arrived (even though that moment was around 3 in the morning).

So...this is another thankful post, I guess. Thankful for friendly new neighbors and burgeoning friendships and God caring even more about the wellbeing of my kids than I possibly ever could.

...And I just want her to get HOME so I can hear all about it!!!!!