We moved into our house two summers ago... when Ivy was just approaching her 2nd birthday. I had dreams of neighbors to chat with, playmates for my children, and late night hang outs in people's backyards (or on the curb if you are like my parents)! That is the way I grew up- we knew our neighbors and enjoyed their company. :)
On Lefty Loop, the little dead end on your right (humorous, I know!), that isn't what we found in neighbors. They are nice (very nice!) but they just aren't in our life stage. They don't have small children and they are checking the mail for retirement checks rather than children's magazines. You get the picture! So our first year here we loved on the oldies but we always noticed other tricycles and strollers on the surrounding streets but never got to actually meet any of these families.
Fast forward to last summer, Ivy often could hear another little person playing in the backyard right behind us. So she began talking to her through the crack of the fence- naming her "My Fence Friend." She would go straight to the fence to look for her and run and report everything that they talked about. It was last year when I realized that Ivy and Kennedy shared summer birthdays (she a year older) and they both love princesses! Then this spring when they ran to the fence to meet again the girls discovered that since their last conversations they both had become big sisters!
There friendship formed fast and they always were sure to stop their playing and chat with each other at the fence. Ivy would climb to the top of the swing set for Kennedy to show her things in her backyard. They were always ready to play but the time wasn't right. Well, this summer that changed! Early in June, I met Kennedy's mommy and they came over one evening and the girls hit it off. They traded flip flops within minutes of meeting and their imaginations ran wild with princesses, tea parties, and our backyard became a castle! The play dates have been great and this weekend we are going to have our first cookout with Kennedy's family! Tula and Baby Grant will be fence friends before we know it! I am so excited to have "new to us" neighbors to make family memories with :)
The girls arranged an inside play date at the fence the other day! It has been great to have a little friend to keep Ivy company who lives so close. I hope we can keep things going once school starts! Yay for the blessing of good neighbors :)
