Rose has the nicest friends, really the nicest. She and her friend Amelia decided they wanted to have over their school friends who they don't see otherwise. Then they added a couple non-school friends, and Friday at 3:00 twelve girls walked into my house. The first thing I heard was, "There are so many books here. I love this house!" Ok, you can stay. They were all extraordinarily polite the whole time--thanking me for hosting, asking where to put their dishes, complimenting my dancing. And, I didn't hear them say one mean thing to each other. One girl has a scoliosis back brace. They all praised her armor.

They played a silly trivia game, Two Rooms and a Boom, and Sardines. They did science experiments on each other. Nothing freaky, they are all prepping for the science fair and needed subjects for tests like "Do you do math problems faster listening to different music?"

To accommodate all the food needs (two gluten free and one vegan, and that's the ones I know about), I suggested we have a baked potato bar. I baked the potatoes, and the girls prepared all the toppings. Then they ate dinner on the back lawn I hadn't mowed and came in with daisies all woven through their hair. I know there was a reason I hadn't mowed.

After dinner and ice cream, Rose said, "Let's teach you how to swing dance!" So, we did. And once again, I was in awe how they all gave it a shot, helped each other. No one was too cool to try.

I know most of Rose's friends and adore them, but it was nice to once again break the stereotype of the obnoxious teen. Not obnoxious, delightful.