 |
| Another beautiful day in BA |
So the downside of living as an expat, yet remaining in the same place for a long time . . . is that your friends eventually leave. This is hard enough as a grown-up. For the kids it's really tough. This year a lot of Meryn's friends are on the move. She's been lucky enough to have most of these girls in her life for several years. But it's time. They have to go on, heading in all directions of the globe - California, Canada, Spain, Mexico and even Australia.
It was really starting to get Meryn down so I suggested we make lemonade out of lemons. We threw the first annual 'my friends are moving' pajama party! She was all over it!
Six little girls arrived on our doorstep after school on a friday night. The bouncy castle was set up and ready. I noted how much they have grown up over the years because instead of running straight for it, they went upstairs to change and to freshen up first. Oh my! They will be young ladies before we know it.
Then they head outside to enjoy the fall afternoon here in Argentina. They played and they bounced for hours and hours. I set out food on the dining room table - a large vegetable plate, chips, homemade pizzas and juice and let them come and go as they saw fit. I played music on the deck which they loved. They wanted pop music all the way, no more baby stuff! These girls had a blast together in their world. A world that is no long entirely little girl, but is not teenaged yet either. Can I freeze this moment?!
The sky went dark and they kept playing. I put on lights and made them wear sweaters. They showed no signs of stopping until the guys from the bouncy castle company rang the doorbell to pull the plug on their entertainment. One girl exclaimed, "But what time is it?" When I said eight o'clock, she was gobsmacked.
They came inside for brownies and ice cream despite the cool night air and then went upstairs to get ready for bed. Then they curled up with pillows, blankets and well loved stuffed animals to watch "The Muppets Take Manhattan" with popcorn and fresh fruit, which made my heart sing.
After the movie there were of course hours of giggles. Yet thankfully by midnight it was quiet upstairs. I crept upstairs to fall asleep . . .
. . . until seven when I heard then next giggle. They were up! We came downstairs and I made breakfast. Homemade pancakes, bacon and hot chocolate served in teacups. They were impressed and held their pinkies up. They got dressed and played and hung out together until one by one their families picked them up for the weekend.
Meryn, who doesn't cope well with being overtired was teary all afternoon. She could look at anything in our house and it would remind her of someone, something and she would belt out, "my friends are leaving!"
The next day she slept until eleven. Colin was not impressed and made a point of telling me so. When she finally came downstairs she looked rested and happy and thanked me profusely for the weekend. It helped, she said.
I too will miss these little girls that I watched grow for years and years. Their birthday parties, sleepovers and school events have been a big part of our lives. It will be hard to say good-bye. ✿ Micheline
 |
| The huge bouncy castle |
 |
| Too fast for photos! |
