out visiting

We went out visiting friends this afternoon and we had such a great time! It was a perfect evening for Dennis, as we ate spaghetti (his favorite meal) and played with Chloe (his favorite toddler). They were so cute running around and playing, and we were delighted with all the baby laughter, big belly laughs and screeches, that we kept hearing. They played alone in Chloe's room for almost 45 minutes, which we parents found both relieving and a little unnerving. One of us would periodically check and they were always just fine. No fighting, no crying, just happy playing was all we heard and saw. Occasionally one of the kids would run into the living room to see us and then run back. The long period of independent play ended when Dennis ran into the living room with no shirt on immediately followed by Chloe with no pants on. This is something we would find alarming in 10 years or so, but as it was, we all just cracked up laughing. They still had their diapers on (thank goodness), and Dennis looked a bit alarmed by it all since he has never taken off his own shirt. We presume Chloe took his shirt off. We all had a big laugh over it and re-clothed them. After that they seemed to want to stay in the living room and play with us.

Dennis brought his favorite of her toys (which is to say nearly all of her Fisher Price Little People toys) to the living room to continue his playing. He loved putting the people into the bus and driving them to the house, then getting them out of the bus and putting them in the house. At one point, he held up a yellow-haired little person and proclaimed her "Mary". We asked him who the other one was, the man with gray hair that he held in his other hand, and he said "Terry". We had so much fun watching them play together that we didn't play games or anything. We just sat and talked and then, after they went to bed, watched a show on TV. It was a pretty perfect evening. The kids are so fun these days, and they really had fun together. They played more alongside each other than with each other, but there were moments of big fun. While we were finishing dinner, the two of them were sitting at her little table and playing peek-a-boo with the living room curtain, taking turns hiding behind it and then peeking out at the other. This resulted in big giggles and screams of delight. I could have listened for hours.