play time

Every day after school Carter comes home and says "Mom, I would like to have------- over to play!", and I always seem to have a reason why that won't work out today..."but maybe another day" I say.
After this same conversation took place 357 times I started to feel bad, so we invited his new school buddies over today.

It is basically the first time I have invited children I don't know very well over to play with my children, and parents I don't know at all to tag along. It was the craziest thing, the way I was nervous. You know the way you feel when you're having a birthday party, and you worry no body is going to show up? That's how I was today....so weird!

Layla and I cleaned the whole entire house, swept and hosed down the back porch, cleaned up the yard, arranged the patio furniture just right, prepared fresh carrots out of the garden, grapes, crackers and cheese, punch, side walk paint and brushes, got the Geo Trax out, and waited! We waited and read, and waited and played a board game, and practiced the alphabet and waited until we heard Carter come home. The look on his face was priceless! He looked around as realization set in. He knew all this was for him, and for the magical moment, I think he might have felt the depth of my love for him.

What a day:)

The friends did come. The boys played in the castle outside, had a berry war, painted, ran, built a train track, had some snacks. At the end of the day Carter will remember all the fun he had with his friends, but mostly (I hope), the feeling of his mamas love.