Good Times

Sunday we went to a birthday party for a 4 year old. (Fortunately, Connor's mom is a smart lady and only invited 3 other little boys knowing full well that would be plenty to handle.) I had a crock pot recipe I thought I would try (for those who know me, I'll give you a moment to catch your breath -- yes, I am making a greater effort at cooking) and checked it to see if I needed to get it started first thing in the morning or if it could wait until we returned from the party. I know you're wondering what this has to do really with a kids birthday party but just stay with me. Turns out the recipe was 1 hour on high and 3 on low, so I figure the party is at noon, there's really only 3 guests, so we'll probably be home by 2:30 or so. We'll eat a little later than usual, but should be able to prepare the meal, no problem. At 6:30pm I arrived back home.
Ah, but you now think that my title is sarcastic and that I have a tale to tell about all kinds of plans gone awray. Not so, my friend, not so. Let me start from the beginning. First we all - and I mean all 4 of us - go to a meeting at REI from 9-11:30. Yeah, pre-schoolers love nothing more than to sit through an hour and a half long work meeting for mom and dad. They actually held up pretty well and did us proud. Then the kids and I dash off to Target because we have not yet selected a gift. We get that and I realize I failed to put the wrapping paper from home in the car so we could head to the party directly. A short delay, but it's just a mile back home and then we're off. It was a busy morning, but we are only 15 minutes late and still the first to arrive so no worries at all. And then 6 hours went by. Connor has a good sized fenced back yard with no real hazards of any sort, so that alone was a huge treat. The kids played inside, the kids played outside, the kids just had a ball. There were some organized activities, but for the most part it was just freestyle. Meanwhile, the parents hung out around the kitchen table and then out on the deck and just enjoyed some food, some drink, and some conversation. And that's why I still haven't had my crock pot chicken. At no point was there an awkward lull that said it's probably time to wrap things up now. And the hosts just never ever gave off any vibe that they really needed people to get out of their house. In fact, I think it was around 4:00 that Boris brought out big glasses of wine for everyone, and by big I mean the size that you do not serve your guest and then expect them to immediately get in their cars and drive. I wasn't entertained. I was engaged. I learned so much about my new friends and they learned about me. We all met back in September and have just never gotten together. It was just such a lovely afternoon. Good times. Good times indeed.