In a year-long first (well, kind of second), we hosted a friend for an evening playdate!

After the big returned from school, she asked if a friend could come over for an afternoon and evening of play at our house. We debated only briefly, as the friend is in her classroom, and to the best of our knowledge sat right next to her (back-to-back at different tables, but close), and has been a friend we've met at the park, and, finally, has been over for a post-park cocoa.

We agreed and made the suggestion to her parents. They were elated, as each had something to do, and it made them feel better to do that with kid away than to ignore kid while they tended to their tasks. They dropped her off, with a friendly bottle of wine, and offered a counter playdate to be named later. I like them, even before the wine, which the wife will surely drink without me (I have the task of emptying the beer fridge alone as she cannot handle carbonation any more...).

She arrived a little later in the evening, but not too late. We had discussed some "play nice, and include your brother if he wants" to the older, but the younger was disinterested minutes after she arrived. They played with toys in the various parts of the house, before deciding to hit up Disney+ for some movie time together. They asked for popped corn just as the pizza arrived. We broke from TV for pizza, and loads of fourth-grade humor, with all of the pre-school attempts to join along. After dinner they returned to the movie, and then bounced between that and play until it was time to take the youngest to bed.

We'd discussed and planned to reduce the impact of the little wanting to stay up by suggesting the friend be taken home at the same time. The wife had an on-line meeting to attend shortly after, so it was the same time or an hour or more later. The girls liked the escape idea, and without the girls, the boy surrendered happily to getting ready for bed.

While we can't seem to break him of the "fall asleep in mom & dad's bed," or get him to sleep in his own room, he does generally transition to bedtime quickly and quietly. He'll dress and bathroom on his own, because he's "bigger" he'll tell us. Then crawl in for some "get the giggles," or story time, or a little of each. When the story is done, or sometimes even before, he'll say "good night," roll over, and in a few breaths be asleep. Which is what he's already done tonight; a little play time, and he's worn out. He doesn't fuss as he's transitioned to the toddler bed still at the foot of our bed, but will wake up and follow us back to our room if we move him to his own room.

We'll get there.

Everyone's healthy.