Okay, you can have a sleepover

What is it about girls' and sleepovers? I remember when I was a girl, we lived in Jackson, MS. My best friend was my neighbor, Ashley Martin. We played together constantly, but always at my house. Her mom was a neat freak, and wouldn't let us play at her house because she didn't want us to mess up the house. So my room it was. We loved us some Barbies. We would play for hours, and when the hours ran out, and we weren't done playing yet, that meant it was time for a sleepover. We would play until we had to go to sleep, and I always knew what that meant. You see, my friend was fine playing at my house in the daytime, and even at nightime, but every single time, without fail, if we decided to have a sleepover, she would wake up at some point in the middle of the night, crying and wanting to go home. So I would have to go get my mom up, she would call her house, and luckily we lived right next door to each other, so her dad would walk over and carry her home. It used to frustrate me sooooo bad. I couldn't understand what the big deal was. It was just her thing.

So Madilyn is like all girls around her age, and loves to have sleepovers. She has slept over at several different friends' houses, all people we know well, and trust. In this day and age, you just never know, right? She has asked lots of times for a friend to sleepover at her house, but it has never been a good time, so the answer has always been no. Then I get the weeping and wailing, the woo is me routine. The world can be so cruel when you are nine years old, and everything you ever want is always denied you.

But maybe it was the new year, maybe it was all the dreary weather we have had, maybe it was just good timing, but Madilyn and her friend Billie came in from playing outside (Billie is a girl, by the way - yes, my daughter's first sleepover was with a boy - I am THAT kind of mother!)and asked if Billie could sleepover. I actually said yes. I think they were shocked! My husband must have been too, because without even thinking about what he was saying, he told her she needed to invite Danielle too (Danielle is another neighbor girl). Before I could say anything, they were out the door to ask Danielle to sleepover, and the next thing I remember, I had three girls running and screaming all through my house.





The girls' had a good time, and they all stayed all night. Lucky Madilyn, her friends aren't scared of the night time in someone else's house.


But the best part of all this was getting to listen to poor little Colin cry and cry because he couldn't invite Dillon to sleepover. "I'll never get to have a sleepover. You'll never say yes if I ask for a sleepover." This went on and on and on. What is that kid, a girl? You try to be a good parent and make one kid happy only to make the other kid realize that he must be the most underprivileged, unloved child in the world. Aahh, motherhood. Does it get any better than this?