Birthday at LAST, and fitting in....

Someone  had a great post over at Braided Tresses, and since I'm all out of original ideas for posts, I figured "hey, why not carry on with the theme Sharaya (I'm so sorry, ONE day I will spell your name gooder) started".  Sharaya's post can be found here, and yes, I feel very very bad for stealing a 12 year old girl's idea for a post.  :-)

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Ping:  I go wif mah seester to birfday?
Me:  Sorry baby, just G.  You get to stay home with Daddy.
Ping:  But I WANT to go to birfday!
Me:  I know baby.  But, you were not invited.
Ping:  Oooooooh!  I NEVER get invited!
Me:  Well, when one of your friends has a birthday, then maybe you will get to go.
Ping:  But NO ONE LIKE me!
Me:  Of course people like you.  You be nice.  You talk nice.  You no be rude, and people will like no.
Ping:  No.  No one like me!

Talk about a heart breaker of a conversation.  See, Ping has worked really really hard at become a better daughter, sister, friend, and classmate to those around her.  When I visit her class, she is no longer the most disruptive child in class, and I can't help but look at all the biological children running, and screaming, and being mean and taking others toys and think "What is WRONG with you kids?!"  :-)  Ahhh, kidding... I don't think that.  But it is nice to see that Ping is not the worst behaved child in the class.

However, first impressions are sometimes hard to overcome.  And yes, the school year is coming to a close, and as of yet... no birthdays (which are a BIG deal to Ping.  I mean, a BIIIIIG DEAL).

... re-wind a couple of weeks...

Wife:  Ping got invited to Leahs birthday!
Me:  Oh wow!  Thank goodness!  Finally, a birthday.
Wife:  Yea, and Leah.  Ping really likes Leah.
Me:  Awesome!  So, how did Ping take the news?
Wife:  She is super excited!
Ping:  DADDY DADDY DADDY!!!  LOOK!  I GO BIRFDAY!
Me:  Yay!  Yay baby!  When is the party?
Wife:  Next Saturday.
Me:  Great!

... the "Next Saturday"...

Wife:  Okay Ping, time to get ready for the birthday party!  Go get your TinkerBell costume on!
Ping:  Okay!
Me:  Oh, look at my little Ping!  So pretty!  You look like a fairy!  A sick fairy... a fairy about to throw up... OH MY GOSH!??!
Ping:  Mommy, I sick.
Wife:  I know baby.  Maybe you stay home?
Ping:  I want to go Leahs birfday party.
Wife:  Weeeeeeell... how are you...
Me:  OH MY GOSH!!!!
Wife:  ... aaaaand, we're going to have to stay home baby.  Sorry.

Thankfully Ping took the news better than we expected.  We were expecting her to throw a huge tantrum.  I'm not sure if it was the projectile vomiting, or her new found maturity, but she handled the whole situation really well. 

I think for her, just to be invited to a birthday party was enough to help her feel that kids CAN like her, and that some DO like her, and that maybe... just maybe she is going to fit in OK after all.

Our poor sick little baby spend the rest of the day in bed curled up with a blankey and a bowl, not quite the day she had planned... but a happy one none-the-less.