first playdate

I just picked Miss Rose up from her first playdate at a school friend's house.  When I went and helped in her class for the Christmas party another mom there said that her daughter talks about Miss Rose a lot and would like to have a play date, which we finally connected for today.

It was a bit of a surreal experience.  The whole, dropping your child off at someone's house you barely know.  Bean grilled me several times about the set up, obviously a bit nervous about it.  But the other mom seemed quite "normal" and they live in a neighboring area, very near Bean's mom. 

Of course I went in to their house to check things out a bit and make sure Miss Rose seemed comfortable.  At first, I thought Miss Rose wasn't going to want me to leave.  She was clingy and shy.  Which was to be expected.  It's got to feel strange to be left at another family's house--even knowing their child.

But in the end, she said she wanted to say and by the time I left, she was off playing and didn't even come to bid me farewell.  She had a wonderful time and we're planning to have the same little girl over to our house next week.

It made me feel both old and young.  Old, that I have a child old enough for this experience.  Yet, I always feel young in these setting so far.  I suppose part of it is having 2 younger children still.  I feel like others would look at me and think I'm young or immature.

But, this other mom was probably within a few years of my age, and I'm sure I don't appear as young as perhaps I feel.

So we can cross "first playdate away from home" off our list as parents.  As we drove up, the neighbor girl was coming to see if Miss Rose could play, so now she's next door.  Lucky kid!