How Do You Know A Wheel Needs Grease If It Never Squeaks?

She doesn't whine much. She never throws a tantrum. Everything always seems to be going well. She would choose almost any activity over "chatting." 9 times out of 10, when my lectures start with, "You kids..." I know in the back of my mind that she actually hasn't done what I'm about to lecture on.

Very sporadically since about November she has mentioned, in passing it seemed, that she doesn't have anyone to play with at lunch. But it wasn't until Naomi said to Dallin, "Eliza seems sad at lunch. She never plays with anyone," that I tuned my ears to listen. I asked Eliza about it and she said what she had said a couple of dozen times before, that she has no one to play with at lunch. She still sounded casual, as though it was no big deal.

I asked her if she would like me to come to school for her lunch time (which I did almost every lunch when Naomi was in Grade 1) or would she like to come home for lunch. She jumped so enthusiastically at the chance to come home for lunch that I was startled and sad about the past 6 months (129 lunches). She came home all last week and was so clearly thrilled by it, both at lunch time and at the end of the day, that now I'm wondering what else might need grease, but I can't hear it.