"would you like to come over for dinner?"

It's a tricky business getting together with friends now a days. No longer are the years where Nate and I hop in the van - I mean car - and hang out with another couple to the wee hours of a night, playing games or watching movies...actually talking for goodness sakes. Now are the days where we plan at least a day, preferably a week ahead of time, deciding whether to meet at your house or mine, what time, what do you need to bring, what do your kids eat...and then you have to clean - or if you know them well (more then 6 months in my book or are family) you don't clean. Well at least make sure the toilet doesn't have pee on it for pete's sake!

But I was trying to focus on the actual visiting...

You arrive (or they arrive). If you are hanging with the Callenders you probably have more then 2 kids coming over and might look a little frazzled when you arrive. Or...if we arrive, first you will be greeted by two large boys running into your house yelling for your boy(s). Then a tired but chirpy looking me (yeah...it's not at my house) holding a squirming toddler who is about TO TEAR UP YOUR HOUSE! Then my sweet husband trailing behind carrying the diaper bag, the food, maybe a pack-n-play depending on how long we used to stay (not anymore though) and maybe some toys.

And then the beautiful dance begins. It starts off with one of us talking to maybe one or both of the other adults while giving orders to the boys (use your manners, don't run in their house) "hey, what's been going on? Smells delicious". While the other half starts running through our fine friends' house grabbing anything that might either cause choking or be broken by our sister girl! You might get a smile or a shout out from that parent every now and then as they learn every inch of your house and yard!

Then we switch. We usually know when it's time...that look is given (the I'm going to get in a really bad mood for coming here and not getting to visit any minute look). And you will get to talk to the other one of us as we sit back sip our tea and snack on the chips and salsa, oh and watch our spouse running around after Elizabeth looking a little lonely and ticked off!

Of course if you have a child under three like the family we hung with last night you also will be doing a dance of your own. So at any given moment one adult maybe able to talk with one other adult for maybe a few minutes before the tag is given. If you know each other well then it works even better because all four adults can tag someone else and take a baby, run after a child, kick a soccer ball, push someone, catch the toddler going down the slide or spray bug spray at any given moment.

And if you don't get to finish too many sentences at a time it is okay because hey...it's fun just hanging out, right?

Then after the hard cooked supper has been eaten and the kids picked through their meal in about 3 minutes and made a bigger mess then anyone...and we are all too tired to pick up our plates...and wait a minute there is a baby crawling up the stairs...oh wait, the toddler has run into the front yard with the big kids...we all scatter, take our positions and start all over again.

Then if you are lucky enough to have been invited over you get to apologize profusely that you didn't help clean up much (unless you somewhat did clean up...in that case you will probably be invited over faster then we will again)and yell at your kids that "this is the last time I'm going to tell you to get in the van!" and grab the tired, crying baby while the host family waves goodbye as they are thinking "I'm about to fall over dead!"

So, that is my family's social life. It's just a known fact that you don't get invited over too often when you have a toddler; (babies are good - stagnant- but toddlers are bad!) but to those very good friends who take a risk on us we are thankful! Give it another year and we'll be hopping the social scene once again!