Spy's Like Us

Belle's forth birthday is in January, she talks about it all the time. Lately she has been asking if she can invite two of her friends from preschool (we'll call them Leigh and CeeCee) to her birthday party. We have never met Leigh and CeeCee or their parents. Because of how Belle's preschool is organized, the opportunity to meet Belle's friends and their parents is a little problematic.

The issue with her preschool is parking. When the parents drop the kids off they have to double park or park in a fire lane, so the kids are ushered into the school by parents that have to get back to their cars quickly. Preschool pick up is a little better. They have a designated area where the parents park at the curb. The preschoolers are escorted out to where the parents are waiting.

I'm not sure how other preschools operate, but our preschool doesn't make it easy for parents to mingle. So, Jeff and I developed a plan in which Jeff would ask Belle to introduce him to her friend in the morning. Then at pick up time, Jeff would watch which car Belle's friend got into. Once Jeff knew which car to look for he could approach the parent next time they were all waiting in line for the pick up.

I'm not completely comfortable with this plan but, we want Belle to have her friends at her birthday party, so we are willing to do what ever it takes to find these parents and get to know them.

Today, our plan worked. Here is the transcript of the instant message with my Husband.

Jeff: so I met Leigh's parents

Amy: Both her parents?

Jeff: yes

Amy: did you get to chat with them for a bit?

Jeff: yes

Amy: what’s their story?

Jeff: ( some details about Leigh’s siblings that I won't post here.)

Amy: did you meet the parents in the pickup line?

Jeff: when I dropped off Belle this morning, I met Leigh and as I left, both girls were holding hands
Yes on the pickup

Amy: Belle and Leigh?

Jeff: yes

Amy: how cute!

Jeff: it was

Amy: so that is how you found the parents?

Jeff: yes

Amy: did you talk to them about a play date or Belle's birthday?

Jeff: yes. I told them in about a week.
I picked up a check today at Denim (this is our local consignment shop where we take old baby stuff)

Amy: you’re changing the subject on me

Jeff: yes

Amy: "told them in about a week......" What?

Jeff: that I would call them to schedule a meeting

Amy: did they seem okay with that or weirded out?

Jeff: Leigh has been talking about Belle for sometime too

Amy: oh Good!!
I feel like a stalker

Jeff: why

Amy: it's just weird trying to locate a child’s parents and get together with them.
It's a lot like stalking

Jeff: how else do you do it? It's not too weird

Amy: I know,
So did you find out anything about them?
Like why both of them were picking Leigh up?

Jeff: by the way, Jill called regarding the Christmas Tea.
It's this Thursday Night

Amy: changing the subject again...
In the evening?
are you sure?

Jeff: I believe so.

Amy: I'll talk to her

Jeff: She left a VMail last night
check my email account for the VMail

Amy: ok thanks
So you got Leigh's phone number?

Jeff: or here you go
(He uploads the voice mail message about the Christmas Tea)

Amy: thanks

Jeff: need to go. Chat w/ you later

Amy: k

Jeff never did chat with me again. I was feeling like a creepy stalker. So creepy, even my husband didn't want to talk to me.

Come to find out, Jeff thought that I thought that he was a creepy stalker.

Go ahead read that sentence again, it might make more sense the second time around.

Apparently when I was asking him all the questions about how he found Leigh's parents, he thought I was creeped out by him.


Is this making a bit of sense?


So the bottom line is: one set of parents found, one more to go. Is there a better way meet the next set of parents without resorting to uncharacteristic spy like behavior?