She's a Rock Star
She finally noticed them. Or maybe she had noticed them before, but she certainly hadn't admitted it.
The kids.
All over the place.
Next door, across the street, down the street . . . our neighborhood is like one giant playground filled with kids of all ages. They spill out of the houses, onto the streets, and are generally unavoidable. They are just there. Everywhere.
Last summer, Alexis didn't so much as glance at a single one of them. All through the fall and winter, the same. If she knew there were kids her age around, she sure didn't let on.
And then we went to Disney, and Alexis opened her eyes to the joy that comes from making new friends.
So far, she has kept her eyes wide open. She happened to spot some of the neighbor kids the day after we returned from Florida and immediately set out to be their number one stalker. She spent her days running from room-to-room, window-to-window, searching everywhere her little eyes could see, just hoping she would spot a free-range kid or two. She never managed to find them at a time that I could turn into a chance to go make friends, but it wasn't because she didn't try hard enough. She most certainly did.
And then one day, there they were. She met @supahmommy's girls and lived to tell the tale. A few days later, she stood on the edge of our yard, staring down at them as they played in their driveway. She Who Is Really Very Shy thought about it for a few minutes and then looked at me and asked if she could go play. I, of course, told her yes, knowing full well she wouldn't go anywhere unless I escorted her there. The kid NEVER goes anywhere without me. Ever.
But she did.
She ran down that hill and joined in on the fun. I didn't see her for hours after that because she was too busy running and yelling and playing.
Alexis' first instinct is still to hide behind me and ignore any strangers who make eye contact with her, but it's there. The armor is cracked, The Shy is falling away, and maybe, just maybe, the kid has finally found her Inner Rock Star.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Reader Comments (11)
I'm so glad to hear it. She's gonna have so much fun!! WHEE! :D
Dangit. Why do all my kiddo friends keep getting bigger and more independent?
I can't lie. Proud of Alexis for setting out on her own. I still want to come visit again for a play date where Meg, the BULLY, knocks me over and bruises me, where Cody barks non-stop, and Alexis and I have fun.
I also want you guys to really come to rugby match and meet some of the rugger kiddos. I have a new friend, Mia, who is AWESOME. And I think Alexis and her would be good friends.
Mia and I spent hours last weekend with bubbles (and Dora, sorry, hoping you and A can get her rid of Dora.) Just saying.
I am SO LUCKY to have so many Tweeps & Ruggers with kiddos to help me be the best Aunt In Training.
Enjoy this phase; the next one begins and ends with the whine, "There's NO ONE TO PLAY WITH!"
How awesome is that?! Ahhh, the magic of Disney. It never ceases to amaze me. For that matter, Alexis doesn't either.
This is absolutely awesome! It's so wonderful to see our kids stretch & grow as people, isn't it? Kudos to Alexis and the magic of/at Disney that helped her stretch herself out of that comfort bubble. (I know I still have issues stretching outside of mine.)
Abby looks for the neighbor kids (two doors down, two girls around her age) every single day when she gets home, and wants to go out immediately after dinner to look for them, etc. They are so cute in that they greet each other with such enthusiasm and joy, as though they hadn't seen each other for months, instead of just yesterday. :-)
Pretty soon, it'll be like you have the house to yourself, when she starts wanting to spend every waking moment playing with her friends.
i'm proud of her. and you!
That is so great! Now you can tell her to Go out and play! and she will have neighborhood friends to do that with!
I'm SO proud of her! SUPER!
Aw that made me tear up thinking about my painfully shy baby (now 31). He's gone on to play with the other kids too!
I've been enjoying a bunch of that at my house, too. Then again, all the kiddos seem to like my yard, too, so it all balances out!