I was under the false impression the girls were starting to understand the idea of having their own friends—independent from the others.

This understanding on their part has not come without a lot of difficult conversations, sometimes involving tears and sometimes tears coupled with snot.

Hanna asked if she would be free one Sunday from now. “Not this Sunday but two more Sundays, like there’s this Sunday, then the Sunday after that and then after that, there’s another…Sunday. Am I free that day?

?

Sounds like she might be asking about the sixth Sunday of the month and I’m fairly certain, we don’t have plans.

I asked her why she wanted to know if she was free and she explained someone she knows is planning a birthday celebration but is in the early stages of the process. She’s putting feelers out to see who might be available in addition to gathering information about everyone’s favourite pastimes, thus potentially catapulting herself into the lead as the best party host of 2012 in the under ten year old girls age category. That is of course, if the guests arrive on the right Sunday.

Activity options for the party included; bowling, indoor mini-putt and possibly Gregorian calendar studies.

Ellie quietly listened to the conversation. She appeared to be nodding acceptance but said nothing as she too tried to figure out when the Sunday in question might actually take place.

Finally she said, “I have an idea for your party Hanna.” She looked her sister in the eye and I worried she might say something like, “You could bring your little sister?” which might have broken my heart. Instead she shouted, “YOU COULD STAND OUTSIDE AND FREEZE!”

Progress?