Yesterday the whole family went shopping at Bayshore Mall. They have a new play area that has a climbing thing and whole bunch of slides. So now, when we go to the mall, the kids do their circuit — Food Court, Train Store, Buzz Lightyear Store, and Slides — while Sir Monkeypants and I take turns shepherding the kids around and taking time to shop. When we need a second opinion about something, the whole clan converges on a store before heading off again to our various age-specific tasks.

Yesterday when we reached the slides, I took a turn watching the kids. And I saw something amazing happen. Captain Jelly Belly made a friend!

She was a little girl exactly his age and size, the only other one there yesterday who was in kindergarten. She was very outgoing and once she asked the Captain his name, and confirmed he was in kindergarten too, they were buddies. They climbed together and went down the slides together. Then she suggested a game of hide and seek, which is the Captain’s absolute favourite, and they had a great time.

Once, when she couldn’t find the well-hidden Captain, she asked her dad, “Where’s that boy? The one who is my friend?”

Oh man, was I overjoyed.

We let them stay extra long at the slides so that the Captain could get the most out of his positive social experience. When it was finally time to go home, I felt kind of awkward — I’d have loved to get the girl’s name and maybe arrange a future playdate, but I worried that the magic would be missing in a context where the Captain wasn’t the only other kid around, or where they found out that she doesn’t like cars and he doesn’t like Barbies. So I let it pass. But still! The joy of knowing that, when approached by a nice kid, he can make a new friend, and have a great time!

Aw, Captain, you rock.