Allison, David, and Maggie came for a visit over the long weekend, and let me tell you, seeing Felicity play with Maggie -- the daughter of my best friend of THIRTY YEARS (aaah! We're SO OLD!) -- will definitely be on the highlight reel of my life.
Maggie is one of the sweetest girls you could ever hope to meet; she's gentle and quiet, and she can entertain herself for very long stretches of adult conversation (which is good since Allison and I sure can TALK). She also has a fun, silly side and can light up the room with her infectious laughter.
Maggie was SO GOOD with Felicity, to the point that it seemed impossible to believe that she's only six. Even though my child is still a bit...hesitant, shall we say, to share her toys, Maggie found ways to coax her into playing together and willingly shared her own things without fear of Felicity messing them up or running off with them. Watching them play, I found myself wondering what a kindergartener would charge to babysit an almost 2-year old (I think five bucks an hour seems fair, don't you?).
The girls also bonded over their American Girl dolls, explored the Museum of Natural History, pushed each other around the apartment in Felicity's wagon, shared countless snacks, tried on Maggie's fabulous sequined boots, and ran amok in a playground when it was about five degrees outside.
On Sunday afternoon, we left the little one behind and Allison and I took Maggie shopping at American Girl Place and to tea at the Plaza. We had ourselves a grand time. I wanted to buy Maggie pretty much the entire inventory of the American Girl store because she was such a good sport with all the walking and hurrying around in the city, and she's just so GOOD, so up for anything and so uncomplaining.
And I tell you what, *I* wanted one of those historical dolls and their cool room set-ups and accessories. And the books! How I would have LOVED reading about all these girls from different periods of American history when I was a kid. I wasn't so into doll-dolls (I was VERY into Cabbage Patch Kids, but those are more babies than dolls), but with all the stories and the outfits and the crazy expensive HORSES to go with them, I think I could have gotten into American Girl stuff had I known about it circa 1981.
Anyway, after buying Maggie's baby some PJs and a robe, we moseyed on up to the Plaza, where we were seated in the Palm Court in view of the Eloise portrait. After we got settled, Maggie looked around and said, in total earnestness, "I feel like a princess."
We drank cold cold pink lemonade and played "Name that Tune" with the piano accompaniment, and we really, really, should have incurred a sharing charge instead of each ordering our own tea trays (WE DID NOT KNOW). It was a LOT of food (one for all of us to share or maybe one for the adults and one for Maggie, since the kids' tea servings are smaller, would have been PLENTY), but it was an extravagant sort of afternoon and we thoroughly enjoyed our wee sandwiches and scones with Devonshire cream and miniature cupcakes. We also enjoyed seeing a woman fall OUT OF HER CHAIR onto the slick marble floor a few feet away (too many mimosas, or perhaps the five-inch heels didn't agree with her).
We can't wait until Felicity is old enough to join us for tea. I think we'll have to make it a mother-daughter tradition whenever Allison and Maggie come to town, at least until the girls get old enough to find us totally lame and go running off to talk about what losers their moms are.
Maggie is the age right now that Allison and I were when we met. I have no idea if Maggie and Felicity will stay friends for a long time; they have a difference in age that will one day become significant (and then, later on, it won't be anymore) and of course there is the small detail that we live a thousand miles apart. Still, I know that they'll always be in each others' lives, since our families will forever be intertwined thanks to that day back in Miss M's first grade class when Allison saw the monogram on my homemade jumper and asked me what my middle name was -- and it turned out to be the same as hers.
Even though our girls will grow up without siblings, I know that, one way or another, God will give them sisters.
GIANT LUMP IN THROAT.
We had such a good time and I miss you all so much!
Posted by: Allison | January 17, 2012 at 09:56 PM
Wow you guys are the coolest moms ever. I yearned for anything American Girls-related and got nada. Had there been a store in 1991, my mom would probably have refused to go anywhere near it (I mean, she's not a total spoilsport, that stuff's just kinda expensive). And I think the mother-daughter tea tradition sounds amazing.
Posted by: Ris | January 18, 2012 at 08:46 AM
Oh, man. This is lovely. And I miss all of my oldest friends (and their babies, some of whom I've never met) so much. SO MUCH.
Posted by: jive turkey | January 18, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Also, my mom used to take me to fancy teas when I was younger and I STILL get super excited at the notion. The trays! The tiny sandwiches! Eee!
Posted by: jive turkey | January 18, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Maybe we will have an "at home" tea at Grammie's next month. That would be fun! I am so glad you all got to spent some family time together. Everyone just lives too darned far away!
Posted by: terri codlin | January 18, 2012 at 12:15 PM
This makes me want to get pregnant IMMEDIATELY and to, at the same time, somehow find my childhood best friend a husband or a sperm donor so we can have this EXACT EXPERIENCE. So lovely.
Posted by: Life of a Doctor's Wife | January 19, 2012 at 12:53 PM
Six?! Wee baby Maggie is SIX?!
Posted by: agirlandaboy | January 24, 2012 at 05:58 PM