Friends

Zoë is three and quickly developing a social life. The next door neighbors have many attractions: six kids, including girls ages 4 and 5, a trampoline, big-kid bikes, swings, chickens, dogs, and a sandbox. Zoë escapes there whenever possible. Though I can see their backyard through my kitchen window, I'm wary of letting her be over there without me. She is, after all, only three and there are, after all, six kids, two dogs, and many chickens in the mix.

But today Josh was under a deadline, Nico was coming down with the virus Zoë had just recovered from, the house was a mess, Zoë had had a really boring day, and I was trying to cook. So I gave in to her pleas to play with her friends but made her promise to stay outside where I could see her.

The next thing I knew, she came tearing into the house explaining something to me at top speed. I was on the phone and didn't catch a word of what she was saying, but by the time I followed her into her room, she had stripped her clothes off, found her swimming suit, and changed into it. I turned around and Aliya, the four year-old neighbor, was behind me. She and Zoë lit out of the house with the words "playing" and "sand" and "swimsuit" floating behind them.

The next time I turned around, they were in the hallway on the way to our bathroom. Again, I followed. This time Zoë said "Mom, can we take a shower? I wery wery want to take a bath with my friend." I told her that she could take a bath later, after dinner, and to go outside to play.

Thirty seconds later, through my kitchen window, I see her and Aliya disappearing into Aliya's house. Aliya's mother follows them in. I wait a few minutes and no one exits, so I walk over and Nando (the oldest boy) informs me that "Zoë is taking a bath." That stinker. He invites me in and I find Zoë with Aliya and Dulce all bathing in their swimming suits. I gather that Zoë has at least implied my consent to this action.

I take her home (Aliya trailing at my heels), get her dried off, and then Aliya's swimming suit comes off and they're both changing into princess costumes.

Next I see two princesses swinging and chasing dogs around the yard.

I call Zoë home for dinner. Once she arrives (with Aliya, of course), she insists that Aliya give her the princess dress back. Aliya happily does so and runs home in nothing but her undies.

And Zoë declares, "I wery wery love my friends!"

I'm seeing visions of what the summer is going to be like.