A couple weekends ago we hosted a sleepover. The guest was my three-year old nephew. For his birthday a couple months earlier, we had given him the gift of our company! Pretty pompous, I know. The idea is to allow him and my daughter, the only kids in our family close to three years of age, to play unencumbered and uninterrupted by the older kids. They rarely get to sit down in front of a puzzle together or do just about anything as a duo. He lives an hour away and on the ride back home, both little ones fell fast asleep. We could not have drawn it up any better!
By the time we arrived at our front door they were awake and ready for some fun. They dove right into the musical instruments that always seem to be scattered about. My nephew has only a piano at his house, so the trumpet, tambourine, ukulele and tongue drum were like a new world to him. It did not take long before we knew what his favorite was going to be – the harmonica. The kid can really wail! It was awesome to see him so happy playing with something brand new to him. We all let him be the bandleader as we invented a new version of musical chairs that worked very similarly to Freeze Dance. My wife and I would take turns playing the part of the crazy dancer while the other adult and the two kids strummed the ukulele, banged on the drum and blew into the trumpet. The bandleader would signal to the other players when to stop and the dancer had to hold whatever position they were in at that time. It was a hoot to be frozen on one leg with my arms flailing as if I am going to tumble down on the kids. They were both hysterical.
For dinner, we hopped over to the local pizza joint for a pie and fries. We brought crayons and paper, and the kids colored away through the whole meal. Before bed there was time for a short ½ hour video. My girl picked her favorite of that length, Gustafer Yellowgold. This, too, was brand new to my nephew. One of the coolest things about a sleepover is that your child gets to play host and share their favorite music, videos and toys that otherwise may never be experienced by their extended family members.
In the morning we made pancakes and invited her cousin to help in the kitchen, something he does not get too much of a chance to do being the youngest of three. It was the first time he had cracked an egg and he did wonderfully! We all cheered for him and his face turned bright red. Later that day we drove to Philadelphia for the Baby Loves Disco dance party. A full report of that event, held monthly in nearly a dozen cities nationwide, will be up on Families.com later in the month.
Sleepovers can be such a cool experience to allow your family to grow closer. It is also a nice test to see if you would like, or could handle, another child of your own!
Do you have any fun sleepover stories?
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