Ice Cream Date with a 6 Year Old

And now for something completely different....

As a fun change of pace from the past few posts full of difficulty and challenge, I wanted to share with you the fun evening I had with a very special 6 year old.  Miss Madison and I used to spend a lot of time together when she was still a preschooler last year. Her mommy (aka my bff, Sheryl) and I would go grocery shopping together or spend a morning talking, but I always made sure to make time for Maddie. We would play Barbies or a game of Hi Ho Cherrio and have a grand old time together. 

Well, nowadays, Maddie (who has decided she wants to be called "Madison") is halfway through her year in kindergarten, and she's always mentioning how she misses spending time with me. I've even heard her say, "But Jillian [her 3 year old sister] gets to spend all the time with Melanie!" 

This sets the stage for Madison's 6th birthday party. I was the one "friend" she was inviting to her party in addition to her family, and Madison called me a couple hours before the big evening to ask me to come over early and play with her. How sweet! We had just enough time for her to beat in me in a round of "Spot It" AND half a game of Phase 10. (no joke!) 

I knew there were many gifts I could buy Maddie that would make her very happy, but I decided to be different this time. I wrote out a gift certificate that said: 

This gift card is presented to Madison and is good for one ice cream date with Melanie. 

She was THRILLED! 

A few days later I picked her up and we headed to Coldstone together. 

check out the perfect height of that "Peek Thru" window! 

Madison picked out the peanut butter cup creation--sweet cream ice cream with real peanut butter, peanut butter cups and fudge mixed in! (that's my first favorite choice at Coldstone!)

happy girls

I decided to get the dark chocolate peppermint ice cream with brownies and fudge. Yes, it was delicious!

As we talked, we got on the subject of American Girl dolls. I told her all about my Samantha doll and I could tell she was eager to meet this special doll. I brought her back to my house and pulled the box from the back of the closet. Madison's eyes lit up when she saw how pretty Samantha was and quickly went to work deciding which outfit she should change into. 

I told Madison how I hoped to give my doll (whom I've had for 16 years now!) to my daughter one day, and she conveniently slipped this gem of a comment in the conversation. "Well, if you ever decide to give her away, you could give her me." Ok, Maddie, I'll remember that. :) 

Maddie was really enjoying her ice cream!

I'm glad the two of us had this special time together. I think these memories are something that will stick with us both. (Unlike that ice cream. Except maybe that's what I'm seeing on my hips....)