We spend most Friday evenings visiting with our friends the Slivkas. It's a great time for us to sit down with our families for dinner and for the kids to have playtime. Both Vanessa and Daniel really look forward to their time together, and they've learned to count on it. Daniel is almost three and understands that Friday must mean dinner with the Betzes. And for a while Daniel thought the Betzes meant pizza for dinner. (This was based on a short-lived tradition that ended when the adults began to have cravings for other things.) Vanessa is still in a stage where it makes better sense to tell her soon before we actually get together. I think baby Audrey is also learning a pattern with our visits. She always looks at me like -- Oh yeah, the curly-headed lady.
It's not often that the kids are sitting down on the couch looking calm. I think this lasted about a minute or two. And Daniel and Vanessa are patiently waiting for dinner.
Of course you can probably imagine that we tell lots of stories about how the kids will grow together. Vanessa seems to be sneakier than her innocent and sweet look lead one to believe. Daniel loves hot rods, so we’re often talking about how there will be particular rules when the kids are older. And no Vanessa, one day when Daniel pulls into our driveway on his motorcycle, you can’t go with him. (I kind of like the idea of putting my child in a bubble when she’s teenager.) We wonder if Audrey will be the one to tell us about what the older kids are up to, not falling for their ways. :)
Other friends join us from time to time, depending on the boating season and their personal plans. We're very grateful to have longtime close friends nearby to share our lives with.
