relaxing with friends

We had a good friends over this evening, his wife is studying, so needed the kids out of the house. I love to relax with parents who I know well, while our kids play. The kids entertain each other and we parents can expertly keep a conversational thread, punctuated with calls for help, questions about the universe, wiping noses, and cutting food into chunks, of course, but two experienced parents can keep thoughts on point, and have a satisfying exchange, whereas a non parent gets bewildered and frustrated by the interruptions.

Geekygirl was thrilled to have her buddy over to play; L is a few months older and they have known each other since birth. She is clearly relaxed in his company. When we called the kids in to eat their chinese takeout she she was completely naked. When I asked her to get dressed she returned clad only in a silver puffy vest, sans underwear. A little persuasion got her into her cinderella undies too, but that was as dressed as she wanted to be. The evening ended with the now traditional couch bouncing fest, and the house looking like, well as if four kids had run riot in it for two hours while their parents drank wine.

It is amazing how four kids can take a house apart! After saying goodbye, Geekygirl sad to see her friend go, "I am so sad L is leaving because I love him so much" she said adorably, I got them to bed then began clean up. Puzzle bits, instruments, teeny tiny princess shoes, vehicles, stuffed animals, dolls clothes, sunglasses, and strange plastic shapes I have no idea we even owned but may have been part of my breast pump, many of these items covered with teeth marks that could belong to a dog or a toddler or possibly both. I finally cleared the floor. And started to wonder, do we need less stuff, or more storage? I suspect the latter, and a trip to Ikea in the near future!