Fall Fun with Friends

Each one of us at our house is blessed with a variety of wonderful friends.  I'm so thankful for my friends and for the really great friendships that both Benjamin and Josie have developed with classmates, "pepsmates" and neighbors over the years.   I have always wanted our house to be the house where kids wanted to hang out.  It is sometimes more work and sometimes less but I feel like if I develop that feeling of "everyone is always welcome" at a young age it will carry over to their teenage years.   We shall see if that actually transpires and if feel the same way about having a house full of kids in about 7 years.  But I do know that the kids often have friends over and more times that not it is fun.
Above is a photo of Josie's new neighbor friend, Ariana. Below is one of Josie's best friends, Bryn, and her sister Ansley on the morning after a sleep over and before we all rushed off to German school together.

 Benjamin has been a bit slower in the friendship department or maybe Josie was just really fortunate to have met one of her best friends, Bryn, at such a young age.  it started slowly and with quite a bit of hesitation and some fear but now Benjamin has regular playdates and has developed a few really good friends.  Three times a week Benjamin has some play time with his friends Charlie and Henry.  They all go to co-op preschool together.  We all work different days at the preschool so whichever mom works that day brings all three boys to school and then home as well as has them all over to their house for lunch and some play time afterward.  This gives us three moms a nearly 4 hour chunk of time twice a week!  Such a luxury - that we mostly fill with volunteering in our older kid's classrooms, grocery shopping or cleaning the house.... such is life with kids at this age/stage.
Below are Charlie, Benjamin and Charlie's brother Will playing a very favorite game "rampers"  a birthday gift from Liz and Ed that has seen a resurgence of play in the last few months.

 Henry and Benjamin

Charlie and Benjamin's friendship started off a bit rocky and rough but as of late has become pretty solid.  I think it was kind of that Alpha Male thing and Benjamin felt threatened.  They are both strong willed and and stand their ground so neither one would budge but somehow it bothered Benjamin more than Charlie.  As they grow up they are either going to become best friends or intense enemies... it is loWhat started off as a bit of a hard relationship for Benjamin has grown into a really fun one.  I think both Charlie and 

Below are Henry and big sister Lilly (who is in Josie's class this year) Josie and Benjamin.  It is really nice because a lot of Benjamin's friends have older siblings in Josie's grade.  Group playdates have become very common lately.  

Josie had a couple of her good girl friends over a few weeks ago when there was a day without school.  They spent hours in the back yard on the pogo stick and stilts. The interesting thing about these girls (Eva in the middle and Elliott on the far right) both have connections to Madeira Island as does Josie. My maternal grandmother is full Portuguese with her family originating from Madeira Island.  Eva's mom's side is also from Madeira Island (she is half and Eva is a 1/4) and Elliott's dad is 100% Portuguese making Elliott half with his family coming from Madeira Island.  Such a small world.  All growing up I don't think I knew anyone whose family was Portuguese let alone from Madeira Island.