The Abby and Chacha Show

Well I'm seriously considering changing the name of this blog to the Abby and Chacha show. As I sit here ready to write yet another post about their budding friendship what choice do I have? The fact of it is though as much as these posts are about Abby and her new little friend, they're also about me. This is a big change and adjustment for me to make. Before now Abby's life has been dictated solely by her father and I. We chose her friends, who she would spend time with, where and when. Now all of the sudden she's venturing out all by herself and making a life a little bit seprate from ours. I know this is something that's only going to get "worse" when she starts school in the fall. So actually it's good she and Chacha have found each other it lets me ease into the shallow end rather than having to jump right into the deep end.

We have a communal burn pile with our neighbours. Any kind of yard waste like tree trimmings gets placed there and a couple of times a year the men gather and celebrate their manliness with a roaring fire. Yesterday Michael decided the pile was getting rather large and with our plans to clear out some trees, well we better make some rooom on the burn pile. So he gathered up one of our manly neighbours and his close to being manly son and a fire making they did go. The fire had just settled down to a nice respectable level when Chacha's Dad wandered over with kids in tow. So the men stood around, marvelled at their fire and talked of manly things. Chacha, Abby and Him ran around playing and making an incredible amount of noise as only kids can. It was sunny, but chilly out in the morning so none of the kids were interested in playing outside long term. Chacha and Him were heading home with their Daddy and they invited Abby to come home with them. With barely a backwards look she was off and running.

Mike and I both sort of puttered around working on household projects and chores. All of the sudden I noticed it was lunch time and I panicked just a little bit. Abby was still over there and it was lunch time. What should I do? Go over and bring her home? Do nothing and expect they'll feed her? And now I'll have to have Chacha over for lunch at some point as well. I was about to start hyperventilating when the calm voice of reason entered my head. Chacha's Dad, I'm sure, realized it was lunch time as well and being an adult he was probaly fully capable of deciding whether he wanted to feed my child or send her home. I should really just relax. It was just then that the phone starting ringing. It was a call coming in from Chacha's house.

Chacha's Dad: What does Abby like on her sandwich? I've been asking her, but she just stares at me. Would she eat peanut butter, jelly, cheese?

Me: Oh she's good with peanut butter.

I can't tell you home much better that call made me feel. It proved to me that we were all struggling a little bit to a new dynamic in our houses. I gotta give Chacha's Dad serious props. Chacha's Mom was out of town for the day so this brave man had not only his own children for the whole day, but also took in my child. And fed them all lunch. And took them all for a long walk after lunch. Oh and have I mentioned they have a 10 month old baby as well? I can't see Michael signing up for that anytime soon.

Abby finally headed home with Chacha, Him, Dad and Baby in tow. The kids all played on the swingset while us parents had the "our kids are friends so we better get to know each other" kind of chat. We talked for probably an hour or more and found out we have an awful lot in common with them. I can see them becoming our friends as well which is a nice thought. Mike and I have already discussed offering to start trading babysitting with them. We had been discussing how hard it is to do simple things like grocery shop with kids in tow. I mean we're lucky to have parents so close who are often ready to baby sit at a moment's notice, but other's like Chacha's parents don't have that luxury. The kids always seem to want to spend time together, so we may as well have it work to all of our advantages. Yes sir it's a whole new world.