Birthday party and a new friend for McKinley

We traveled to my Godparents home for Shelby's birthday party. I cannot believe she is really 14. Not cool. She is so not a little girl anymore, but a sweet young lady...but still, it makes me feel old.

Anyway, we had a lovely time with everyone. The food was great, the company wonderful as always, and the cake? Yum. But it was McKinley who really cut loose and had the time of his life...running after a long-legged girl.

Her name is Clara. She is the youngest daughter of good friends of Shelby's parents. Clara is 4, an older woman.

This was not the first meeting between McKinley and Clara, however it was the first time they took notice of each other.

McKinley had been standing in the kitchen of Honey's house, with his lame parents trying to figure out what he could do to liven up the joint. Then she walked in from the back yard. His eyes lit up. She stopped in her tracks with a stand-offish look on her face. He said:
"My name is McKinley. It starts with M-c-K-i-n-l-e-y"

Clara, still with that look: "My name is Clara, it's C-l-a-r-a"

He'd met his match!

McKinley: "I'm 3 and a half"

Clara: "I'm 4"

McKinley: "Let's go!"

Clara: "Okay!"

and that was the last I saw of my boy, except the occasional streak of two bodies blazing by.

They chased each other, they visited a nearby coy pond, they swung on a porch swing, the skipped rocks with Cary, they made new friends with the neighbors, they did it all.

McKinley was out of breath trying to keep up with Clara's really long legs, but he was a champ!

They ran and ran and ran until Cary and I were literally at our wits end ready to scream because McKinley wouldn't even listen and the kids were running through neighbor's yards (which was okay with the neighbors but not a common practice for the Vernon's...call us strict, I guess).

The evening ended with two very happy, very tired children.

We had a great time with Shelby and family, and really enjoyed watching McKinley make another new friend.

Lynn