In amongst our many jobs today, we managed to head down to the main street to vote early at a local voting centre before Saturday’s state election.
It was really close to baby girl’s school, so seeing as it was the afternoon already, we decided to park in our normal pick-up spot, walk to the main street, do the voting, plus tend to other random things before getting her a couple hours later.
We only realised as we parked that it was lunch time at her school! Of course. I was like “let’s walk along the school gate in case we see baby girl playing outside.” Now the school is big, it’s not like the only play area is the street we were on. My hopes weren’t high, especially as we first went by the canteen and basketball court with so many kids with senior school tops on (not baby girl’s year for a couple more years).
We kept on walking, keeping an eye out, and then suddenly Hubbie went –
“Look, there’s baby girl!”
Sure enough, there she was! Running! School hat on, shrieking, clearly playing some kind of chasey game, the red pipe cleaner and red string she’s attached to her school hat hanging behind her. Hubbie called out her name and she looked over and saw us as she ran, and kept running! 🤣
5 seconds later, and she’d lost whoever she needed to and run to greet us at the fence. A beaming smile, her eyes wide, cheeks flushed. She grabbed my hand, and we told her where we were going and what we were doing. Her old friend was there, friends since kinder days, chomping on a vegemite scroll, and we said hi to her while another newer friend asked, “is that your parents?”
Soon, the game began again and she shrieked once more, all the girls dispersed and ran off, chasey commencing again.
Oh, my heart. 💖
It was the best thing to witness, because I am asking her every day who she plays with, what she does, and her answers are cagey and vague in their lack of descriptions. 🤦♀️ Kids, right? Also, I’m always encouraging her to cast her net and play with different people, not just the same 2 girls. I saw about 4 girls there, and even 2 boys, which I think is great! I think it’s great to break that gender gap and have girls and boys playing together from young, knowing they can be friends with each other as much as girls and girls, and boys and boys can be.
I know she is my daughter, and she is always beautiful to me… but she looked so beautiful in that moment. Eyes sparkling. Laughing. Rosy cheeks.
She looked beautiful, because of all of that, but mostly because she was so happy. 😍😍
And there is no better feeling in the world than seeing your child happy. It made my day. 🥰🥰
carcrashgratitude 