Playdate with Dylan

On Saturday morning, Dylan came over for a playdate. Dylan is a boy from daycare. Finally, in the last few days of daycare I managed to pull it out of Ms. Norma and Ms. Rosa that Ivan plays with Dylan. I had to prod them, because they usually say that Ivan plays with everyone. That was probably the case, but I wanted to know whether he played with someone more than others. (Ms. Norma also eventually said that Ivan plays with Margaret. This didn't surprise me. Margaret and Ivan seemed to be the two socially-awkward peas in a pod. I always affectionately thought of them as the two little runts of the two, and then, the three year-old classroom. But I digress.)

Dylan's mom, Hillary, was excited that we invited them over. Apparently, she noticed as well that the two played together. Dylan has also been asking her where did Creighton, Emma and Ivan go. The answer: new schools. While it's tough for the kids making the transition into a new place, it must be even tougher and more confusing for those kids who stay behind.

The playdate was all I had dreamed of.

At first, I was apprehensive about it, considering the Sashi fiasco. I didn't want Ivan's feelings to get hurt. I was afraid that Ivan was going to pull out all the stops for Dylan, like he did for Sashi and that Dylan was not going to care. And Dylan's mom did warn me that Dylan had never been over to anyone's house other than a birthday party, so that he may be anxious.

Dylan was shy at first. For the first 15-20 minutes. And then they hit it off. They painted, played with trains, ate muffins that Ivan and I baked in the morning, somehow ended up in our bedroom to jump on our bed, played with trucks outside, went to the playground.....

I was overwhelmed with joy.

They were adorable, shouting and yelling, walking down the street and holding hands, then running across the field to the trail and playing on the playground.

They looked like the little two inseparable best friends, which was an experience I so desperately wanted for Ivan.

Dylan's mom was pleased as well. We'll plan another playdate soon.

P.S. I first noticed that it's probable that Ivan and Dylan get along at Sashi's birthday party, where they sat next to each other to eat cake. I watched them giggle, make faces and point to some bug on the window. "Bug, bug, gross," they yelled really loudly and laughed, alerting other kids to it.