Elaina

On a girl's night out with Elaina. Apps at a little mexican place, then off to a girlscout campfire: Elaina: "Mom, can we be friends?" (Translation: "mom, can we pretend that we are grown-up friends?") Mom; "Sure." Elaina: "I have a daughter, just one, she is 16. There isn't a dad. My husband breaked up with me. My daughter is beautiful, she has long hair, and she can drive a car now." Mom: "Why did your husband leave?" Elaina: "I don't know! He just breaked up with me." Mom: "Well, I don't know why he would leave you, you are a very nice person. My husband would never ever leave me. He loves me very much, and will stay with me forever." Elaina: "Ya. Well, isn't this food good here? I just love these appetizers." Pretty often when Elaina and I are out together, she likes to pretend that she is on her own. Trying to get through her life without a man. Later in the pretending she usually mentions falling in love with someone again, but there is always this ire of independence. I am wondering if the 4 brothers she lives with are getting to her. She may just be a girl who will enjoy NOT being around boys all the time...at least until puberty. And I am hoping that even then she will keep some of this independence she is learning growing up in her household of boys. Also I don't want to forget: -Yesterday when reading a book with Charlie (2), I point to some coconuts in a palm tree and say, "what are those" expecting him to say, "balls" and he says, "cocnut." I was shocked. -At Elaina's girl scout campfire evening last night, I went up to Elaina to tell her it was time to leave. She had a sad look on her face. I said, "what's wrong hun?" She says, "all the girls were fighting." I had noticed some rudeness and name-calling among some of the girls. Elaina remains on the outside of that right now, which is nice. However, it does really bother her to witness it, because I really believe that she is just so excited and happy to be playing with friends, that right now, the last thing she would want to do would be to fight with them, so it confuses her that others would fight. So, I took her out for a little book store coffee and we sat and did a puzzle and read a book together. Lovely night.