Best Friends

Staley and Lila (her same-age cousin) are best friends!  They see each other two times every week at pre-school, but still get so excited each and every time they get to play together.  They are constant play mates at school, but love having play dates and sleep overs as well.  I love the bond that they have and am already feeling sad that they will be attending different schools for kindergarten.  For as different as their personalities are, they compliment each other perfectly.  Staley is a planner.  She has lots of ideas and strong opinions about the way things should be.  Although she is very sweet and gets along well with others, she struggles sometimes if other kids don't want to play the way she does.  Luckily, Lila is an enthusiastic participant in all of Staley's grand ideas.

Staley is having a sleep-over at Lila's house tonight.  Of course, she spent plenty of time over the past few days thinking and planning and coming up with ideas, determining that they would be having a fairy party sleepover.  When she packed her suitcase today, she included fairy wings, ladybug wings, a few dress-up dresses, brushes and combs to play beauty shop, multiple gifts that she sewed for her cousins, a few books, doll clothes, and a backpack full of items they would need for "sciencing rocks."  However, she did initially forget to pack underwear, pajamas, socks, a toothbrush, and only included part of an outfit to wear tomorrow.  :)

This morning, Jill sent me a text about a conversation that she and Lila had:

Jill to Lila:  "What do you think you and Staley will do at your sleepover?"
Lila:  "I have no idea."
Jill:  Maybe Staley has some ideas."
Lila:  "Staley always has ideas.  She likes to make plans."
Jill:  "Do you like her plans?"
Lila:  "Always!  She has the best plans and says-'I have a great idea-let's play hide and seek!'  Except she wouldn't just say 'hide and seek.'  It would be better!"

I'm so glad that my Staley, with her big plans and many ideas, has found a best friend who embraces those qualities and is so enthusiastic about sharing in them.  And the fact that her best friend also happens to be her cousin...well, that's just the icing on the cake fairy wings at the fairy party sleepover.