Are There Girl Stores?

With all my boys, I have lots and lots of conversations in a day. The conversations that make me laugh the most often though happen with S4, my Abraham. He cracks me up and doesn't even try to crack me up.

He has a friend named Elizabeth. Before this year began, we did not know Elizabeth. Oh sure, we passed her in the hallway while she clutched a doll in one hand and someone's hand in the other but otherwise we never gave her another thought.

I mean, she is a GIRL. (and we are always running late)

But at the beginning of the school year, these two became the best of friends. And it's an amazing thing to behold. The two are hardly able to not be together. They draw pictures for each other. They choose each other for "helper" in class. They know each other's birthday and favorite colors and favorite foods.

Abraham has declared he is going to marry her because she has the right colored hair.

Elizabeth declares her wedding to Abraham all the time.

They hug when they see each other. They hug each other when they leave. They play trains and bake cookies and cupcakes together.

Her birthday is in May and Abraham is quite concerned about it. He keeps asking me to make sure I know exactly what day it is and stressed the fact that we MUST be at her house on her birthday.

I ask him if he thinks he has been invited. This thought has not crossed his mind. Of COURSE he is suppose to be at Elizabeth's house on her birthday.

But today he was very concerned because he wasn't sure what to get her for her birthday - you know, the one in MAY (and it's only March)?

I asked him what he wanted to get her for her birthday, thinking he may start to think of things she likes. He wrinkled his nose as he thought hard "Do stores have girl things?"

"Yes." (I may have snickered)

"Maybe we should just go to a girl store and look around for a girl something for Elizabeth. Because she is a girl. But I don't know what girl things there are. Are you sure there are girl stores?"

I nodded. "Oh, I'm sure."

Since I seemed to be understanding the importance of this birthday, he skipped away outside.

Only to come in a little bit later.

"Moma, when I shiver my whole body moves. It goes like this.....". He showed me a shiver. "And then sometimes even my tummy shakes with a shiver. And my legs and my arms and my head and I'm wondering......."

His voice dropped so I had to look into his worried little face.

"....am I sick?"

"No, honey, everyone shakes when they shiver."

He looked skeptical.

"Tell you what, sit in front of the heater and you'll get warm and won't shiver so much."

"Good idea, Moma," he agreed.

Yes, his moma is brilliant. Because she knows there are girl stores and she knows how to get rid of shivers.