Old Friends and New Neighbors

When I was little, my life was marked in increments of Christmas break and summer vacation. As I got a little older it seemed that actually high school was going to be my divine destination (though also marked by Christmas break and summer vacation.) Once in high school, it wasn't nearly as glamorous or COOL as I thought it would be. Bummer. Then... there on the horizon was college. OK that didn't really turn out like I thought it would either.

So here I am many seasons later. How have my perceptions changed? What were those things that I kept looking forward to as a child? What have I learned? What have I not learned and kept repeating over and over again? All those answers are far beyond what my brain can hold or justify.

So here's one of the coolest things ever: When I was in kindergarten there was a little boy in my class and he was so nice. We were good pals. We grew up through kindergarten, grade school and middle school together. Come high school, I went this way and he went that way, never crossing paths for many years. I think he ended up at another school. I saw him once after my first semester at college... eating at Denny's of all places.

Did you ever have those people whose simple friendships, no matter how long ago, and looking back you've just lost touch? Where did they go? Where are they now? Do they remember you? How have their lives turned out?

A few weeks ago I'm driving up the road to our neighborhood and notice the first house on the block which just sold (and that Hubby and I were looking at prior to the purchase of this house) and see a cute little family piling out of the car. How sweet I think. They are going to fit right in: families and little kids we just can't get enough of! The guy turns around as he's swinging a baby on to his hip and gives a little wave. How nice. As I'm pulling down my driveway I suddenly realize that I knew that face. It's been about 10 years since Denny's, but the smile and the eyes are the same as kindergarten!

I didn't want to totally creep him out or his wife by galloping up to the front door and hooting and hollering and doing a little happy dance. So the bebes and I cooked up a batch of 7 layer cookies with a "welcome to the neighborhood" note and signed our names... and a little happy face. How COOL is this!?!?!

All those times when I was little and thought ahead in life... I never once imagined that a good friend of mine would move in 5 houses down from me (in a 15 house neighborhood) and we would raise our little kids in backyards that are open to each other (remember the post about Bitty escaping through the backyards...yep it was his that she ended up in...) WOW. I could have never dreamed something this fun! It wasn't even in my realm of possibilities! You mean those fun little kids I grew up with, are all grown up like me now? This is soooo neat.

Nat and Lu prance around our backyard and his too. They pull weeds and stack wood, pick flowers and find butterflies. He came over tonight with his baby son, and had a proposition for Nat. She had previously offered to pull weeds for him too, but seeing as she's ALL COVERED in poison oak--maybe that's not her calling. BUT he and his family are going to be away this weekend and he would love to hire Nat to feed his cats for 3 days. She'd get paid, get a key and everything! Holy smokes!!! She was beaming! She went over and did a practice round tonight. Ooohhh my goodness. This is so much cuter than I ever could have imagined!