Sleepover

Sometimes I just write things on the blog, and other times, I think about what will the kids want to know from when they were little. Sometimes I write about them and what they're doing, and sometimes it's how I feel, good, bad or otherwise, so that when they become parents, they know it's all ok. That I wasn't always perfect (really!), that it wasn't always easy, that despite the cliche, kids don't come with instruction manuals.

So this is one of those times when I just didn't know what to do. Abby was invited to a sleepover about a month ago. It was for a girl who moved to Jackson in the middle of the year, so I didn't really know her or her parents. And the sleepover was at a hotel, about 45 minutes from our house. There were no details (why that hotel, what time is pickup, what should she bring for the sleepover, etc.) on the invitation. All of the girls in Abby's class were invited, but only two other girls were going. There were also some relatives invited (reported by Abby). Hmmm. I debated and debated. On the one hand, I felt bad that nobody was going to the party. On the other hand, my little girl! So far away! I don't know the parents! (And that pesky story in the news this week where the mother served champagne and Mike's Hard Lemonade to her 12-year old daughter and her friends at her sleepover.) But regardless we RSVP'd yes.

I took her (and my mom for backup) to the hotel on Saturday. The invitation said the party started at 3; we got there at 3:05. And when we got there nobody was there. We waited. 3:15, no one. At 3:20 another family came, and they didn't know what was going on either. We waited some more. At 3:40 or so, they finally got there, but there was something wrong with the room, I couldn't hear exactly what. But, they finally got it all figured out, and we headed to the room and the pool, Abby changed into her suit, and they all went swimming. And I talked to the mom for a little bit, saw Abby having fun, felt ok and only slightly anxious, and then left her there.

Everything turned out fine. When I got there this morning, she was swimming (still?) and having a great time. She was tired today but happy she went, and I was happy I let her. I know many (most?) of you are thinking I'm crazy. But, ultimately, I told Abby if she was at all uncomfortable or wanted to come home, to just call me and I'd come as soon as I could. And I had to trust that she would.