It Starts Young

I ask the Monkey periodically if he's got a girlfriend. It's a silly question, but he's in something much more like "school" now -- with a lot more kids around -- so it seems like a logical thing to inquire about...even if he is still under 4.

He always tells me no.

He does, however, have "best friends"... Lots of the kids are his friends, but he has a very small set of "best friends." For the first few weeks, his only best friend was a little boy named Trae. Then suddenly a little girl named Cora was in the mix... They liked to play with the "things that fly" in the block area. Just a few weeks ago, the best friend circle expanded by one again and now we have Ingrid in the group.

They nap at this school. Everyone has thier own mat to sleep on...and I can only assume by the reenactments that I've participated in at home that the teachers put out the nap things and the kids have to go find their mat to sleep on. The Monkey told me one day that Cora tucked him in for nap...which he thought was pretty nice. As did I...some preschool gesture of friendship and affection...

Last night he surprised me, though, with this little exchange...

Me: So...how was school today?
Him: It was good.
Me: Do you have a girlfriend?
Him: No.
Me: Does anyone have a girlfriend?
Him: No.
Me: What about Cora...does Cora have a boyfriend?
Him: Naaah....
Me: Ah. Ok.
Him: (thoughtful pause) Sometimes Ingrid sleeps in the middle. I like that.
Me: Oh...huh? You mean at naptime?
Him: Yeah.
Me: Why do you like it when her mat is next to yours?
Him: I like to look at her.

And I had this vision of my little guy laying cheek-down on his mat looking at some little tow-headed girl and just...being happy.

And I thought, yeah...you know what, Monkey? ...I get that.