A new best friend!

Two weeks before Ava started school, she announced that she had a best friend.

"Mommy," she said to me with those chubby little cheeks. "Trooper is my best friend!"

"Oh honey, that's so sweet!" I said, and part of me believed it. Yet the hyper-critical, paranoid part of my mind thought, good gracious - have I been negligent with my daughter? Should I be getting her out more? Is it natural that her first best friend is our DOG?

A large part of me HATES these sort of thoughts - the conforming - you've got to be a certain way in order to be normal - sort of ideals. But when it's your kid, and for the first time ever she's saying, "I have a best friend!", it was all at once cute and sad that it was a dog.

It didn't last long however. The next day it was me, and by the weekend, Grandad was her new best friend.

But those days, at least for now, are over. For the past two days, she's made reference to a boy at school whom she plays with in the sandbox and on the swings. When we'd probe for his name, she'd say defiantly, "His name is BOY!"

This afternoon the suspense ended. As I buckled her into her seat, she told me about her day painting, singing and playing with Boy.

"Did you ask him his name?", I gently probed.

"Nick-yus! I YUV NICKYUS! He is my best friend! HE YUVS ME VEWY MUCH MOMMY!"

Could this be any sweeter? And, is it natural - for me to already - four weeks later- to miss the stage where our dog held the key to her heart?????

No need to spend time worrying. By the weekend, it may be someone - two or four-legged - new.