Thursday, January 1, 2009

Welcome To Parenthood

Last night, after sharing a steak dinner with our friend Anders at our house, Nathan and I went over to Anders' place for a New Year's get together (boys in tow, of course). It was pretty mellow while we were there, with only a total of 6 people there most of the time, which was understandable since we got there at around 7:30. It was fun to see our friends again, but after being there for about an hour I realized that things had changed.

It use to be, when we hung out with these friends in the past, that things would get pretty rowdy. Not out of control, just a lot more energetic. Last night was...quiet. We all played some Guitar Hero, I enjoyed a little Crown Royal, Nathan and I fed the boys, they played some pinochle (never have understood that game), and around 9 pm I was ready to go home.

I blame it on Levi and Asher, but in a good way. Since having them, any desire I may have had to "relive the glory days" of the college life-style have fled the building. I don't want to stay up late whooping it up. I have no thirst for partying (no pun intended). I'd rather be home with the boys and Nathan, relaxing on my own couch.

Along the same lines, I'm tired of superficial friendships, which I seem to have collected in abundance since moving to Baker; people that I call friends but don't go any deeper with. I want deeper friendships, ones where you don't wonder whether they actually want you around or whether you calling is more of a nuisance than a pleasure. The kind of friendships that help you to be a better person and yet also accept you for who you are now. I've had friendships like that before but, unfortunately, those people all live across the state from me now. Is it too much to ask for a friendship like that here in Baker, a BFF that I can call up anytime to invite over for hot chocolate (it's snowing outside, hot chocolate sounds good) and chick flicks without needing to get out of my pj's because I know they just won't care? Ha ha, random I know but I miss those friends. But I digress.

So last night we drove home at around 10 pm and I was in bed by 11 or so, fast asleep long before the ball dropped. Is that lame? No, that's parenthood.

3 comments:

Kate said...

Hehe... I have to mention that as our friends were leaving last night at 3am after 8 hours of watching the Office, I said, "thank goodness for close friends to hang out with." And they said, "Thank goodness for friends without kids to hang out with!" We all agreed that while we still love our couple friends with kids, it is hard to relate to them once they became parents. It's interesting how it goes both ways. :-)

Lindy said...

Yeah, it's frustrating how couples without kids (or even older people who have older kids) don't understand that we can't just drop everything and do things on the spur of the moment anymore. Even just running to the grocery store is a huge production unless one of us can stay with the boys while the other one runs the errands. Which is why I can't wait to make friends with some more young families.

Kate said...

Different stages of life, for sure. We understand how hard it is for you guys to do seemingly "normal" stuff now that the boys are around, but only because we have witnessed your exhaustion first-hand! I say you guys have earned your going to bed at 9pm. :-)