The Power of Friends

Funny daycare story:

This morning I dropped Zoey off at Rebecca's house, as per our "new" usual, at 6:45 a.m. Rebecca keeps Zoey with her and takes her to preschool at 8:30 with her daughter, Adley, on Mondays and Wednesdays, and our friend Kendra (the third part of our Dynamic Trio) takes her on Friday mornings with her son, Ari. I am quite certain that the three of us drive all of the daycare workers crazy--we call incessantly to check on our children, we hover too long during drop-off, we ask a million questions, and we are forever picking up and/or dropping off each other's kids interchangably.

The phone rang at work today at 12:30. It was Rebecca.

"Amy? I have Zoey with me."

"Oh my God! Is everything okay??" (The plan had been for Zoey to remain at daycare after preschool, and I would pick her up after work.)

"Oh, it's fine. She just thought she was coming home with me when I got there to pick up Adley, so...."

"Was she having a hard day?"

"Not outwardly. But when I told her she was staying to eat lunch at school, she said 'okay' very sadly, and she looked SO disappointed! So I told Teacher Melina I'd just be taking her home with me."

This was just fine and dandy with me. I'd much rather have her with one of my friends than at daycare, so I was totally grateful to Rebecca for taking my sad child home with her. But the part that cracks me up? Is the fact that I didn't tell the daycare she was going home with Adley, and they didn't call to inform me she was leaving with her buddy. So clearly having Rebecca arrive to collect Zoey is every bit as valid as showing up myself to take her home.

I love that.