July 6 – “Girl Sleepover”

 

 

We had our big family fish fry yesterday at lunch.  It was the only day Nathan had off that he could come too.  And we put away a lot of fish.  And some shrimp. 

 

Then all the kids went to the beach.  Chris stayed here with Mom and I had a wedding rehearsal, so I had to miss it as well.  So sad.  I think I'll get over it.  It's pretty hot here. 

 

After the beach trip and baths and some leftover fish, Kel and his family headed for home.  But Cailyn had her turn at a cousin sleepover.  Made for some interesting interchanges.

 

As her Mom and Dad left to get her some pajamas, she asked me, "Do you have a girl sleeping bag, DadDad?"

That kind of threw me for a moment.  I had images of pink and princesses.  We don't have anything that looks like that.  The best I could come up with was, "We have a sleeping bag that girls can sleep in."  It seemed to work. 

 

As we cleared out the furniture and positioned the sleeping bags for her and Zak and Caleb, she commented, "I not been camping in a house before."  Cailyn, the best place to go camping is in a house.  Sure beats the bugs and heat and sweat.

 

Finally she crawled in and looked around her with a kind of awe.  There were her cousins Zak-we and Tatub.  Uncle Josh was plopped down in between the two boys.  Nani and MeeMaw were on the couch behind her.  DadDad was watching from the rocking chair.  Aunt Christi was over on the other couch.  The movie Toy Story 3 was just beginning.  And Cailyn breathlessly commented, "I never had a sleepover."

 

She is only three years old, so it was very difficult for her to stay in the sleeping bag.  Nani finally insisted that she get covered up.  Cailyn dutifully obeyed, then jumped up again, asking, "Is that the rule at sleepovers?"  That's the rule, Cailyn.  Not that she particularly followed the rule.  But she now knew that it was one.

 

As the movie ended, she did get homesick.  I think it was a factor of how tired she was after the beach, because she stays with us all the time.  She finally crashed in our bed, though, after a round of princess stories.  I decided to sleep on the couch so I wouldn't wake anyone up when I got up at my usual time of 6 a.m.  Great plan.  Up until Mom woke up and joined me.  At 4:45.  So much for an extra hour of sleep.  I tried to convince her to go back to bed, but to no avail.  I finally got up myself a little before six and started my day.  It's after seven now and she is reading the newspaper, still going strong.  I wonder how strong she'll be going when Chris gets up and tells her it's Libbie's Place day today.  Ah, well.  I can always look forward to a nap.  Sometime in the midst of VBS parent day and a wedding tonight.  Yawn.

 

Psalms 9:2 says, "I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."

 

Father, thank you for girl sleepovers and new adventures.  Amen.