We are expats and as such friendships are perhaps more intense and important than it would be at home.
We are very good friends with two other local couples and often do things as a six some. We are all outgoing and a bit hedonistic. Childcare is no problem as we have maids we can leave the children with on an evening when they are asleep so we can go out a lot. We also do things with the children too I hasten to add, and this is important.
My youngest daughter is friends with couple b's only child. They go to the same school and play at the playground together most evenings before supper. They are very similar in personality. Tbh they are both "spirited children" and tend to be a bit noisy together at parties.
The six of us have a whatsapp group where we send jokes and discuss events and things we have planned.
Sometimes we also do things as a foursome in the different combinations, but it is always something the other couple wouldn't like, for example the non native English speaking couple didn't come and watch a British comedian with us as it wouldn't be funny to them.
Yesterday afternoon and night though couples B and C had a large BBQ with lots of other people and loss of kids. And they didn't invite us. Deliberately so. The kids started earlier and swam first.
I don't know why exactly we weren't invited other than their daughter had a strop about my daughter and didn't want her there. But who lets a small child dictate what adults attend? And with so many people there were lots of other options for them to play with if they really were having a tiff.
I felt very hurt tbh as I had been alone all week with DH working abroad and I felt so relaxed and happy in our mutual friendship, I wouldn't ever have guessed we'd be cut out of something.
I know catering for a few more or less would not have been the issue.
I had a bit of a cry about it actually as I felt it was a bit mean of them. Of course they are free to invite or not whomever they like, but it seemed to be just so deliberate that I was shocked about it. Earlier occasions this sort of thing happened, it sort of happened by accident and more spontaneously and I shrugged it off as nothing personal. But this time wasn't.
In the evening I took both me and DH off the whatsapp group.
I know that was petty of me and I feel awful about it now. I wish I hadn't.
Nobody has said anything about it since.
How do I say I regret having a flounce? Should I just leave it for now as a bit of a break might be the best thing? Like a week or so?
The idea of never doing anything with them again makes me feel sad.
We DO have other friends, but not as close. I am also friendly with loads more I occasionally socialise with, like school mums.
Tbh it's been a day and I miss them and what we had already 😔 I wish I hadn't have been so petty as I am ready to just laugh it off today. But I still don't really understand why they did that.