[gja1000]

WHEW! Judy I am tired just reading your post!!! I can't imagine having 3 grandkids at once - I've only had one at a time (well, I only have 2 and 1 of them is just barely 3). I don't think I could handle 3 at a time!!!

Re: Mackenzie - it is really tough on kids, girls I think even moreso. They can be so MEAN. My daughter who is a 5th grade teacher says girls that age are just AWFUL to each other.

And a triangle is the worst. Brooke says she will NEVER let 2 girls come over to spend the night with Abigail because 1 of them will be crying before night is over because she will be the "odd man out".

I've watched Abigail and her circle of friends - it is so interesting. She'll have a BEST BEST BEST friend for several months, and then all of a sudden, that friend and she are at WAR and she has another best friend.

Now that she is 13, and has been in this location (neighborhood) for 3 years now, it is better in that she has a wider circle of friends. She also participates in athletics which widens her circle of friends and that helps to, I think. She has settled on a BEST friend who doesn't live in her neighborhood nor goes to her school. That eliminates a lot of drama and they have remained best friends for over a year now.

I spent my childhood being the odd man out. Well, I did have one good friend who always stuck by me, but there were 4 other girls in my class and one of them spent our entire childhood trying to get everyone else to be mad at me. It was miserable at times. So, I understand Mackenzie's plight. I think it is worse in a small town too - but then the benefits of living in a small town do outweigh (IMHO) that problem.

When Abigail was having friend problems, I would just listen, give her support, take her places, made her feel special, etc etc, the normal "grandma" things. It's tough - I just don't understand why kids are so mean to each other. I've never "studied" children, so I don't have a clue - but it is certainly distressing to see it happen.