Hiding in the Dryer

This past weekend, beginning when we got home from winter vacation on New Year's Eve, we enjoyed hanging out with our friends the Bennages who were visiting from out of town, along with all their entourage.  Meaning, a fun reunion of all our friends from college whom we see, but not very often all in one room, unless an occasion like this occurs.

They even got to be here for the birth of a baby- our friends the Stricklands had their baby while they were here.  Sandra even had to step in and cut the cord for dad Michael, as he was out of town!

Sunday was their last day here. (They had moved over to our house to give the Stricklands some room with their new baby!) We had a bunch of folks over and people brought their own food and ate lunch after church.  We lit a fire in the backyard, let kids play, mommies talked, the men played games, folks got sticky roasting marshmallows, and we just generally enjoyed each other.  The afternoon went on, and no one left.  We all got hungry again and some of us moms went to the store and got more food, and we continued to hang out and just be there together.

As I was thinking about how cool it was that we got to host an 8 hour play date with some of our best friends, I remembered my friend Eric from kindergarten.  I used to stay at his house after school for a couple hours.  I'd go home with him when us kindergarteners got out at 1:00 and my mom would come get me after she finished her full school day at 3:30.

When it was time for my mom to come, when we heard her knock on the door, we would always try to find someplace to hide so that I could stay a little bit longer.  Once Eric shut me in the dryer.  They'd never find me there!  I could stay all night!  (Five year old logic not understanding the flaws here on many levels.)  Of course when I was found, there was a scolding of how dangerous it can be to be shut up in a dryer.  And I had to go home.  All good things must come to an end.

Our day long play date with multiple families was wrapped in just a little bit of five year old logic.  Let's all just hide in the dryer, so we can keep this fun alive as long as possible.  I'm sure everyone had stuff they were going to try and get done that day- chores, errands, etc.  But you know what?  Letting ourselves hide in the dryer for an afternoon was really a very, very, good idea.  Having a group of people that love you and your kids, no matter how crazy or quirky you might be-- that's how I want to do life.