Our First Play-Date

As a working mother, I romanticize the notion of stay-at-home mommyhood. I read blogs of SAHMs like Kelly Stamps and Liz Uecker and grow a bit envious of their carefree days running errands together, meeting up with another mommy-baby duo for lunch, or gathering with a bunch of other mommies and babies to play and kubbitz at someone's home--i.e. the play-date.

So, on MLK Day, how did we choose to spend our day off work? With a play-date, of course! We got together with our friend Nancy (who played tuba with Matt in the Brentwood High School marching band, way back when, and is now a United Methodist pastor, as is her husband) and her daughter Becca.
Kate's day care teachers have always told us how well she interacts with other children, but I've never just gotten to sit and watch for any significant period of time, and I was really excited to do so. At this age, kids engage in "parallel play," where they just play near each other and not necessarily with each other. So, there was some of that, especially as the girls got used to each other.

Eventually, they played with the play table and blocks "together" (i.e. at the same time) and even did a little dancing! Sometimes, they took toys out of one another's hands, but (fortunately) they were happy to share and did not get upset.

The only tears I recall were when Kate got a little rowdy and pulled Becca's hair, and I said "no!" which startled and upset Kate because she doesn't like being scolded.

All in all, our first play-date was a great success, and we look forward to more fun times with friends and friends' kids! If you have little ones and ever want to get together, just let me know!