50 Fingers and 50 Toes

This weekend I hosted a sleepover party for my older daughter. It was our first...I did not know exactly what to expect. As a matter of fact, I felt a little bit too relaxed for what other more experienced parents were saying. One mother wished me luck. Another one said, "Better you than me!" Still I carried on. I had a loose plan and all the supplies necessary to implement it. I believed I could...so I did!

The evening went very well. I served pizza, I served cake. They talked, they laughed, they broke open the pinata! They sat around my kitchen table as I painted 50 fingers and 50 toes and imagined we were in a real nail salon.

Movie time came, and we all got comfy and cozy in front of the fireplace. I thought I had succeeded. I thought we had waited long enough to start the movie and they would all just fall asleep during the movie...NOT.

Bedtime was he hardest part of the party!! No one slept! They all got out of their sleeping bags, roamed around, played dress up, yelled, screamed, woke me up at 3 AM, and eventually passed out at 4 AM!
OMG!

But you learn things from having little girls spend the night at your house. You learn about their little fears and their little soft spots. You learn that an 8 year old girl can feel uncomfortable sitting next to a lit candle. The fire scares her, so you blow it out. You learn that some 8-year-olds still suck their thumbs...in private, when it's bedtime. You learn that the Raggedy Ann doll up on the shelf freaks her out, so you remove it...and you leave a light on in the room for her if you're going to close the door. You learn to be more gentle with one of them, because her feelings are hurt easily.

These are the sweet and brave little girls who go to school with and play with my daughter. You never see these parts of them during the day. They just carry on normally in front of people. If they spend the night at your house, you have the privilege of seeing another beautiful side of them.