Hello, old friend

I love getting together with old friends. It's the easiest thing in the world—particularly when it involves your very best friend. Nothing hard about that!

Much to my delight, David, Noah and I spent Sunday with Deanna, Joe, Joey (nearly 4), Parker (nearly 3) & baby Raya (2 months) in Pennsylvania on their sprawling country lot. It's the kind of place where time isn't important—what matters most to me—and there's lots of room to stretch your legs—what matters most to David and Noah.

Joe & De

Lucky for me, my best friend married a man who David genuinely likes and has a great deal of fun with just being guys together. And Noah, though a year and a half younger than De's youngest son (Parker), seemed to fit right in with those big boys. It was the perfect, laid-back day. I could definitely use more of those...

Noah & Joey going up the slide

Funny stuff: Joey & Parker are REALLY into underwear right now (no more diapers!). They are proud of their favorite pairs, and often refuse to cover them up with useless clothing. In the spirit of coveted undies, they were allowed to roam "free" all day. I thought it was hilarious.

Parker

Parker & Joey

1—2—3: Go!! Noah was pleased as punch with the selection of outdoor toys that vroomed, scooted and otherwise moved. His new favorite thing is to shout "Go!" after we count to three. We did that over and over on Sunday as he went from jeep to tractor to four-wheeler. I was amazed that he even operated the pedal-powered John Deere by himself!

Noah on the kiddie quad

Four outfits: I brought four changes of clothes for Noah. I realize that seems excessive, but guess what? He used them all. First he dumped half of a bottle of bubbles down his belly (and I'm pretty sure his throat is now squeaky clean too, but it was hard to tell from the angle). Then he discovered a bucket of water and rocks that he alternated in splashing happily and fishing for rocks that I repeatedly removed from his mouth. Soaked. We then had a break between outfits where I opted for the naked diaper look (a classic!). Then it was outfit #3 for dinner. And finally, I changed him into jammies as the darkness closed in. It's no wonder why his closet is considerably more stout than mine.

Noah, letting it all hang out

Baby Raya: This little sweetheart makes me want to hop back on the baby bandwagon...almost! She really was a precious girl—sleeping plenty and eating like a champ. I just loved her little coos and even her tiny infant cries. And De was a mommy pro. She has mastered the bottle prop and the one-armed cradle—all necessary when you've got mutiple bambinos running around.

De & Raya

Raya

Before we left, we made plans to get together again after Thanksgiving. Should be interesting to have four kids and four adults under our roof for a few days! Bet you're all looking forward to those entries... :)