An afternoon with Aunt Tatie

My dear friend Katie came over this afternoon with her 3 1/2-month-old daughter Kaylee. We looked forward to a quiet afternoon full of conversation, possibly a cocktail, and sleeping babies. What we got were two girls who refused to nap, lots of big tears and screaming, and a long walk with bulky strollers to try to get children to calm down. Still, we had a wonderful time. It was so nice to spend an afternoon with someone who is as tired as I am, whose attention is just as easily diverted as mine is, and who just basically understands how much motherhood throws life for a loop. Plus, she and I have been friends for half our lives now, and having that deep history with each other is so delightfully easy.

So even though I have a crabby toddler on my lap who only wants to watch Sesame Street videos online (she was so excited that "Tatie" came over that she couldn't calm herself down to nap), it was worth it to have an afternoon with my friend, fighting the good fight in the trenches next to me.