The Perfect Playmates (53/366)

Saturday February 25, 2012

About once a month, Matt and I get together with our friends who have teenaged children.

Obviously, this seems perfect since our little kids still need a babysitter.

Our kids love their kids, and because of that, us adults have a great time with each other as well! 

So today we got together around dinner time.  The kids all ate together and us adults went out for dinner.  How nice is that?

I remember when I was little, going to visit my parents' friends who had kids our ages.  The kids played all night, the adults played all night and we either left in our jammies, or we all stayed the night if it was farther away.

Now, I am seeing this unfold in our own tradition.

Just because we have kids doesn't mean we can't be social. 

Of course, when our kids were babies, we needed cribs or pack-n-plays, white noise, bottles, etc.  My kids would NEVER and I mean N-E-V-E-R sleep anywhere else but home.  It was a real drag to either hire a babysitter or put another family member out to have them come over and stay at our house for the evening.

For a long time, we just didn't go anywhere unless our kids were at an overnight at their eager Bumpa & Gwi-Gwi's or Grandpa & Grams'.

Now... it's just FUN!

We can pretty much go anywhere.

The kids all play, the adults all play and we either drive our kids home in their jammies, or we all stay the night.

I love the nostalgia that comes with this age.  I remember sitting on my daddy's lap asking him to explain how to play the cardgame they were very actively into.  I never got it, but being a part of my parents' "adult time" was such a privilege...

Our girls sit on our laps, eat pistachios and ask us to explain our cardgames.

It's really a great, great time right now.

I'm thankful for the memories I have of these times from years ago, and hope my girls have the same fondness when they remember our friends and their kids, whom they will grow up with.