The Sleepovers

Shelby and I had to go to Idaho Falls for a funeral on pretty short notice. We decided it would be much easier on everyone if we did not have to take all the kids with us. In the end we took Carson with us, Rachel stayed with her cousin Sam at the Larson's house, and Lilly had a sleepover at my parents' house. Let's start with Carson. In all of his two years he has rarely had one whole hour of two-on-one with Shelby and I, let alone two whole days. Not only did he get our undivided attention, but he got the undivided attention of Grandma, John, Grandma Eileen, and Nathan. He ate it up! I have never seen him so full of personality, and so well-behaved. He did not cry or whine once the whole drive there. In fact I think the only time he complained in the whole two days was just before we left to drive home. We were walking back to the car, which was the last place he wanted to be. He had used up all of his good behavior, but I told him that was fine. He had earned the right to have a little fit.

Lilly had her own undivided attention with my parents. She spent the first evening playing with Papa, and she didn't even have to share him. Apparently before bed he told her he would wake her up early in the morning so they could play before he went to work. Nonna said "don't you dare!" The next day Nonna took her to get her hair done and bought her a new fancy outfit. In the evening she got to spend more time playing with Papa. When we came to collect her she was wearing a jean jumper, pink shirt and pink cowboy boots, and a string of fake pearls Nonna had given her. She looked so cute! She was so excited to see us. She jumped up and down and gave her trademark giggle/squeal.

Rachel was another story altogether. She got nobody's undivided attention, but she did get to spend two days playing with her five Larson cousins. I let the girls pack their own backpacks. I listed the things they needed and went on good faith that they packed it all. Why I did not double check, I am not sure. Summer tells me Rachel's bag was quite toy-heavy, and lacking some clothing items such as pants. You can see where her priorities are. When we came to pick her up, we went to hug and kiss her. She stepped back and said "I need a minute." It was all we could do to pull her away from her cousins. When we asked her if she missed us, she said "I just missed my sister." I suppose I should have been slightly hurt, but mostly I was glad she had been thinking about her sister.

Lilly got to go to a birthday party on Saturday. It was her first solo birthday party, where she wasn't just a tag-a-long with her sister. The party was for her friend Allison Millward. Allison has a sister Rachel's age named Rachel. The girls call her "Rachel Millward". Every time she would tell someone about the birthday party she would say it was a party for "Rachel Millward's sister." Rachel and I walked over to pick her up after the party. We all walked back and Lilly told us all about it. She was delighted with the whole affair. It is good for her to do these things without being in the shadow of her older sister. I am sure there are times she thinks of herself as "Rachel Rayl's sister".