Los Hartrichs

Nate and Laura Hartrich visited us, leaving the boys with Nate’s parents who also gifted them the airfare for Christmas. The visit panned out in a way that can only be described as ideal. Laura, a far superior blogger to me, documented this visit rather well in the following posts on her blog Maiasaura Made:
Barcelona, We Are Here.
Barcelona, Day 2.
Barcelona, Day 3.
Barcelona, Day 4.
Barcelona, Day 5.
Day 6, no internets
Barcelona Day 6 -- Stateside Version
Last Day in Spain. Ah, Sitges.

I really enjoyed preparing for their visit, thinking up meals, washing and ironing linens, arranging activities. As we get older we’ve all gotten more into “entertaining,” throwing dinner parties instead of keggers, even going so far as to arrange game nights. There was something nice about preparing for a couple’s visit that you don’t quite get when hosting single male friends.

When we visit the Hartichs in their home I’m always impressed by tactics or routines Laura utilizes with the kids and I think what a dumbass I am for not having thought of them. I, therefore, found it comforting when Laura would comment, “You play with Lily so much! You’re so relaxed! You talk to her so much!” and make looks of inner torment. We moms are all alike, never giving ourselves credit and feeling guilty about most things.

Their visit made us thankful for having interesting friends who are also parents. Having friends and being a parent are difficult to coordinate, so it helps when the areas overlap. Whenever we visit one another, we generally have one day in which to do it and the result is a hurried discussion of our feelings toward life regularly interrupted by our children beating one another, boring one another, dirtying diapers, calling our names repeatedly, performing princess slaughtering puppet shows, and sometimes having fun. Thus, having a week together with four of us and one child put the odds in our favor to have real conversation and relaxation.

We’re looking forward to future holidays together when we can include all the wild children and to a time when we recount the stories of our adventures together.