..Playdates

     There are not a lot of stereotypes that either me or the hubs fall into, he is the cleaner and I am the blunt obnoxious one. Most of the time who does what comes down to interest level or availability more than anything else. A few things hold in this house, like a lot of others I assume, I do crafts and the organizing hubs does the outside chores, play dates tend to be the other area this occurs. Unless there are crafts or cooking involved, play dates tend to be handled by the same gendered parent, I have no idea how this happened but I defiantly got the better end of the deal.  On top of the fact that boy play dates tend to be managed by the boy parent, that means the girl and I can slink off when other boys are in the house.     
 
     Around 5 last night a friend of Thing Two tumbled up to the door to play. They usually go to play at his house, but he asked if they could stay here, I said sure grabbed Thing One and left it to hubs. Within minutes of One and I slinking off, I hear "DUDE, DUDE, you totally got it!!".  At this point, Thing One has locked my bedroom door, turned on Wizards of Waverly place and is blissfully amused. I sit on the bed and read a book, I am good and it is pretty quiet in our little cave.  Thing One and I have gone shopping, seen movies, hidden out watching TV and playing on the computer, all sorts of fun when the boys are in the house playing.      
    
     We strive to be able to let the play dates happen without intervention of a sibling so it means great one on one time for the parent with the non-play date kid.  Thing One shares with you on these one on ones, you can do like activities; when you have Two there is constant activity, making sure he is being kept level, having fun but not stripped naked at the park kinda fun, getting a yes/no can be tough enough let alone a conversation.  I enjoy one on one time with both kids, it is just very different time. I have found things to do with Two that give me a chance to have conversations and play and be together, but with One sometimes it just comes easier. There have also been times where we were able to get One to do something active and crazy, but that takes a lot more effort and can be tough to listen to the whining. Each Thing brings different things to the table, just like I am sure they bring them to their friendships and their relationship as siblings.

     Back to One and I hiding in the bedroom, we spent a delightful hour or so hold up in the bedroom thoroughly enjoying ourselves, but I enjoy her play dates almost as much. When One has a friend over it is almost easier than just having One. The girls go to Things room, play, aren't too loud, go outside play are nice to one another.  When they come in to eat, they chat, are friendly, giggle, it is very cute. Usually we do a craft and both girls seem to enjoy themselves or fake it and the girls go on with their time.

     Thing Two, his play dates are a totally different level or action. Usually the boys run around like monkeys, yelling playing and having way to much fun.  They eat everything on the run, never talk to the 'adults' and if Two says 'DUDE' once he says it a million times.  They don't do no stinking crafts, they make remote car tracks and roll around with the dog. They go up to his room and the crash bang booms occur.  I secretly hope he is not this off the hook at other peoples houses, that please and thank you are part of his vocabulary. The thing is the house he plays at the most, they seem to love him, and I love them because of that.

     This weekend we are hosting sleepovers for both kids and I can't wait to see what happens.  In these circumstances I tend to handle food prep and inside stuff, and Hubs tends to manage whatever craziness he runs into when it gets too quiet.  We have bubbles, paper and crayons, the Kinect, I have no doubt all the kids will have a great time.  The Hubs and I are already parsing up what will happen in the morning, again I am thankful, I am thinking the Green Expo and a Re-Art Hula Hoop Activity with the girls maybe a little market; Hubs golf with the boys and then a park for them to run wild.  Again I think I got the better end of the stick, an activity I am interested in and two chatty girls, but then again maybe Hubs thinks golf and nuttiness at the park is all that and we can both we thankful we are enjoying time with our kids and their friends.

     On a side note, I hosted a baby shower for one of my mommy mentors and their were eight girls 4 to 10 and they played amazingly. It was the coolest thing in the world to watch all those girls jumping around on the hammock, painting together and just being kids, I loved it. Here is a picture of the candy bouquet I created that the girls devoured.  Where was Thing Two, getting his boy on with his best bud, and again I love that they willingly came and got him to save him from the girlyness in the house, and I made sure enough candy got put aside for Thing Two, his bud and his buds brother.