Annabelle's first sleepover

So you all know that Annabelle has a best friend called Ebony (Ebby or Bee to her friends). Ebby goes to a different daycare centre now but they see each other most weekends.



Ebby's mum, Carley, is great for organising social events so there are about four or five families that now regularly catch up for dinner, barbecues, the Fairies (reminds me I haven't posted Fairies photos!) and the girls love having things to look forward to on weekends. Even when there isn't a planned event, they usually are back and forth to each other's houses most weekends - often with three of them gathering at someone's house or the lot of them going from house to house while we parents take turns to do the child-minding or getting a break. It really has made all the difference for us to have a social network and to have the opportunity for a break occasionally.

SO... Ebby has been having sleep-overs for quite a while. Annabelle, on the other hand, has spent one night away from me in her whole life and that is when her dad took her to Victor Harbour one night over the Christmas holidays. We don't "do" sleep-overs. Annabelle wakes several times a night and I'm not at all comfortable with her waking up somewhere else and not knowing where I am. But she has been asking to sleep over at Ebby's house. We often go there for dinner and Ebby flakes it and Annabelle hangs out with us until we come home around 9pm. She ends up tired and grumpy the next day when she still wakes up at her normal 6am. So there was that.

I also started thinking that it would be nice for us to eventually be able to have a night out (like for our wedding anniversary) and to have her looked after by someone and not stress about it. We don't have grandparents or any relatives around so this has never been an option for us and I figure close friends are the next best thing. So I suggested to Carley that we *try* a sleep-over. Carley has been telling me for ages that Annabelle will be FINE and that she can sleep over any time. So she said "Sure, come for dinner Friday night and leave her here". Easy as that. EEEK!!

Annabelle was SO excited about sleeping at Ebby's house and told me that she is going to sleep at Ebby's house for "lots of days" and that she will come back and see me "another day". Good to know my place!

We had dinner and I put Annabelle to bed. Easy. Carley kept topping up my wine and since we weren't driving, I kept foolishly drinking it. What's with that? "Oh I don't have an excuse to not drink so I'll drink LOTS". I ended up feeling quite drunk and unwell. Bleuch. Maybe it was my nerves. Not to mention Carley is a terrible influence. ;)



We got home and I had the phone switched on and beside my bed. I must have told Carley 55 times before I left where Annabelle's clothes were, and what to do if she wakes up, and to call me if there's a problem, and that her swimming clothes were in a separate bag to the other clothes, and I just adjusted her blanket, and I put a pillow beside her in case she rolls off the mattress because she usually does, and she talks in her sleep so if she yells out, she might still be sleeping, and if she wakes up she won't go to you, you have to go to her and to CALL ME if there's a problem. Carley told me to shut up and get over it.

When I woke up the next morning - apart from having a hangover from hell - I couldn't help thinking how quiet and lonely the house was. Mel got up and started working on some stuff on his computer so it wasn't like we even got "quality" time together! Ok, it was nice to suffer in peace and lie in bed until 8am but I was annoyed with myself for drinking too much and not being able to enjoy our first morning EVER waking up on our own. First thing I did was text Carley to find out how it went. Annabelle slept through the night - called out once (in her sleep) at 5am but then woke up at the usual 6.15am. No tears. All good.

Eventually I got up and dragged myself to the gym and I picked Annabelle up at 11am. When I arrived they were playing in the park next door to Ebby's house. I gave her a big cuddle and asked if she missed me. She said very matter-of-factly, "No". Alrighty then.....

hmmmm... I'm glad it went well but I'm not sure I'll be making it a regular occurrence. It may be true that it's me who isn't ready and not her, but that's fine. I admit it. I'm not ready.