Elijah has friends!

I think this has probably been the strangest transition yet for me- Elijah growing from preschooler to full fledged little boy. There have been many many changes in him recently, but probably the most noticeable to me is the fact that he now has friends with whom he plays completely independent of me or any other adult. This happened somewhat last year- we would have friends over and they would play together in the back yard or his room. But always after 20 minutes or so of play, there would be the need for adult intervention- they're bored and need a new activity idea; they're arguing over a toy; the friend gets homesick or they need help to play a game.

Today is Elijah's first day of summer. It is also the neighbor kids' first day of summer. It is now 11:45am and since 10:00am, he has been playing with Jordan, Shawn and Shawn's sister outside- without any guidance from me or any other parent whatsoever. I keep going to check on him, amazed that he's still happy without any intervention from mom, and he is having the time of his life. They're all playing in the space between our houses- making ample use of 3 back yard spaces- and I can see them from any window on the back side of our house. Also a comfort is the fact that Jordan is an extremely responsible and mature little girl as is Shawn's sister, and all of the other three kids come from seminary families and they're all older than Elijah. They've shown in the past that they will help him make good choices when he's unsure, and Jordan is very reliable to keep an eye on him for me. But the very best part is that he loves to play with them, and Shawn especially seems to enjoy having him to play with.

I am watching them have a giant water gun fight right now, remembering all of the summer days I spent doing the exact same thing with all of my cousins and friends. I remember those days just like he'll remember these days. His growing up is so obvious at this moment that pokes me in the chest and makes me want to drop everything and watch in awe at the person he is becoming. Forget laundry and dishes and dirty floors; right now my heart wants to sing a song of praise and thanks for all of the moments of his life I've gotten to share so far. How can I possibly deserve such blessing? I don't, and so the next verse of my song turns to thanks for the grace of a heavenly Father who must know the joy of watching His own children grow up.