I would hug you right now, but I have glue all over my hands.

Try sitting across the table from the most spectacular seven-year-old you've ever met in your life and telling her that you're having to move away from her, as she looks back at you with a stare of disbelief...

...that's what I had to do tonight.
(not counting all of the awesome playing and laughing I got to do with her before or after)

It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.


To begin our night, Paula 'cooked.'
...this means she ordered pizza. :)

Ruth's cheesey bites tasted like "tiny little cheese sticks" (go figure.)
and it was even more delicious than she had imagined it to be, just "fluffy enough" for her liking.

After pizza and a short tickle fight,
she and I proceeded to create her Christmas mitten for school...
...which means we ripped up just about any wrapping paper-type stuff that Ruth liked and glued it all to the poster board mitten... it was very entertaining.
(and ironically reflected her personality to a tee).

As we're gluing as many ripped up pieces of glittery tissue paper onto this mitten as possible,
Ruth continues to say...


"I will never forget this night in my whole life."

I then have to proceed to tell her about my devastating news...

...
...
...

...I thought I was going to cry, but her end response??

"I would hug you right now, but I have glue all over my hands."

(grin)

I tell her I will never forget her, I will give Mommy my address and we will write letters and send pictures, and I even tell her that I will be visiting whenever I possibly can.

...and you know what?

I think she really does love me, too.

...and you know what else?

(smirk)
"I will never forget this night in my whole life."

Neither will I, Ruthie.
Neither will I.