Ready or Not, Here I Come!

"I totally forgot Miss V was coming today!" I texted my husband while he was at work.

I have a little friend who turned five just a couple months ago, and we have playdates two or three times a month. When my phone dinged with the reminder she would be coming, I realized I hadn't prepared anything special for us to do. 

It's the teacher in me; I like to over-prepare so Miss V doesn't get bored. There were no borrowed books from the library. I hadn't found a recipe for us to try. There was no craft activity ready to go. I felt terrible.

Chuck reminded me that none of that really matters. "Miss V is coming to see YOU. She doesn't care about any of that stuff. She loves you, and she looks forward to spending time with you. It will be fine."

Of course, he was right. He always is.

"...Eight...nine...ten... Ready or not, here I come!"

Violet and I were playing Hide and Seek, and since there are not very many nooks and crannies I can fit into, I ducked into the coat closet in the hall, and tried to steady my breathing in the darkness. Yes, I take Hide and Seek very seriously. I heard Violet's footsteps come down the hall, and she walked right past the closet. Hah! So far, so good. And then I remembered I'm a little claustrophobic. The air was starting to feel really heavy, and I felt a teensy bit of panic start to rise in my throat. I pushed the double doors open ever so slightly, and pushed my nose toward the crack to breathe in air from the outside.

"Miss Denise, are you here?" That little stinker. She knew if I answered, she could follow my voice. And being a sucker for sweet kids, I quietly said, "Yes." She giggled, and ran to the closet door, and found me pressed against the coats. I took a big gulp of air, and we both laughed. 

Remembering what I used to do as a child once someone had found a good hiding spot I thought was better than mine, I knew Miss V would be easy to find when it was my turn to be seeker a few moments later. I made a fuss of going through each room first, though, loudly proclaiming each room to be Violet-free. She laughed and laughed when I found her in the closet.

Miss V helped me remember something I tend to forget. People are always more important than things. If I never borrowed books from the library, or prepared the kitchen for baking, or readied a craft activity, the two of us would still have a great time. It's not the stuff, it's the time we spend together.

During our play dates, we enjoy sitting on the couch, talking about what we've been doing. She knows where the scratch paper is, and will often ask if we can make paper airplanes like we did the first time she came over. There is always flour and sugar in the house, so cookie baking is something we can easily do together, and play dough is always an option. There is a park behind our house, and if it's not too hot, or too cold, we have fun taking her imaginary friend Stacy to the park, and letting the girls take turns on the swings.

"Ready or not, here I come" is a phrase that gets my attention, but I realize now, if it's my little friend who's coming over, I don't need to worry. Everything will be just fine. It always is when Miss V comes to play.