I've got the pink blues, in every fuchsia hue...

I have been so excited that Chebbles has been accepted by the gifted institute*, that I've waited with bated breath to learn about other kids in our area who might be like her. You know, talk about the Peter Pan prequel and the mating habits of worms?

Because I think that being gifted can be lonely. I felt like such a turd when I was labeled "gifted" -- then was relegated to a distant corner of the first grade classroom for the duration of the year, along with a little kid named Robert who spent most of his time trying to convince me he was a robot.

Of course she has a bunch of local buddies, but unfortunately very few of them are homeschooled. And I find that Chebbles can hang out with older kids only so much before they realize that she's 5, and she still cries when she loses and doesn't know who iCarly is.

I mean, at least she isn't in a corner with Robert day after day, but PEERS! I need PEERS!

Tonight I finally got my mitts on the list of other kids who are in this gifted program -- everyone in a 100 mile radius from here. And my friends, it's ALL BOYS.

I'm exaggerating. There are TWO GIRLS.

Then after that, it's all boys in the program. And not one of them listed "princesses" or "fairies" in his list of "likes."

Now boys DEFINITELY have their merits. I like to think about the three young men who are growing up somewhere who will someday be my daughters' husbands. Boys are absolutely terrific. Chebbles' best friend since she was 18 months old is a boy (who came over today and delighted us all with his wonderfulness).

So I'm not denigrating boys. I'm just WISHING that a few more girls were lurking on Chebbles' side of the bell curve.

Thank goodness she's a very social gal, and thank heavens for little boys. But honestly, Chebbles just wants a girl her size/age with whom to talk about anagrams and fairy tale variants.

I've sent hopefully-not-too-desperate-sounding e-mails to the parents of the two girls in the program, both of whom live 2 hours away. Here's hoping for a cure for our pink blues.*



* She can't attend the institute until she's 12

* "Pink Blues" is on the "Pinkalicious: The Musical" Soundtrack and I highly, highly recommend it for all genders.