White Lightning Axiom: Redux

Ok, Yeah, I know. I'm late, but I've been pre-occupied. The weekends are the 2 days that you get to match the work that you didn't/couldn't/tried to do in the 5 days before. That and an extending time to allow you to make feeble attempts in sustaining your web of friendships, however threadbare they may be. On Friday evening, I got a call from an old co-worker turned friend. Actually, it was his Scandinavian/Nordic wife, Inger. Of all the people I have ever met, Dave and Inger have got to be the most pleasant people I know. As far as hosts go, they are surpassed by none. The dinner conversations are always engaging and the post-dinner activities (coffee, nightcap, etc...) are simple yet elegant. We had been invited to come on over to enjoy a dinner with them. This has not happened in quite some time. With the Twin Twisters of Terpitude, the ravishing Mrs Mdmhvonpa and I rarely got time to talk let alone enjoy a night out. When Inger invited us over, I quivered with anticipation of my long abandoned social hat coming out of retirement. I steadied myself and asked Joyce if she had any plans for Saturday Afternoon ... No? Excellent. So here is the plan, we leave home at 2pm and get to the BBQ by 3. The plan, yeah, ummm ... have you forgotten Mr Mouse? You know, the best laid plans of men and ... oh, nevermind. We did get going at 2:15 and we did get there at about 3:05. I had not been to their house in years ... probably 3 years now. But some crusty old synapse rose to the occasion and not a wrong turn or lane-shift was made. Flawless execution! Of course, you know that the kids only went to bed at 12-12:30 and leaving at 2 did not give them an adequate amount of time to nap. When I woke Alexis the Siren of Shriek, she gave me a glare out of one eye that would make a Special Ops Ranger wet his pants. Fortunately, she nodded off on the drive over so her ire was repressed and stockpiled for a future occasion. When we arrived, Alexis was sufficiently wary of these new people (even though not more than 1 year ago, the kids had threw up on Dave and Inger). Jacob, being who he is, rushed right in and commenced on surveying the territory. "Hmmm, what is the most valuable and most fragile? What will make the most pieces and loudest noise?" I can read his thoughts as the virtual horns sprout from his temples. I'm alert and prepared as we herd them into a room with a pile of toys in the center. Ahhh, David and Inger are prepared beyond my greatest expectations. I hand over the 2 bottles of gift wine as David and I spend some time going over recent developments for our common friends. All the while, the twins run in and out, closely tailed by Joyce and Inger. Inger, of course, was once a maternity nurse and had raised 3 boys of her own. A virtual tome of knowledge about rambunctious toddlers. As it turns out, the local neighbors had also produced twins and were expected to vist as soon shortly. They also had a boy and a girl and were nearly the same age as our children. I'm thinking quietly that this is going to be like throwing gasoline on a grease fire in a dynamite factory. The 2nd set of twins, (Ivan and Lotisha?) were raised at home with their mother. This was an interesting fact in that our darlings were at day-care since week 6. I think calling Jacob and Alexis aggressive or assertive would be like calling the sun 'rather largeish'. The contrast was shocking. Needless to say, the 'other' twins looked like they were in a coma, even though the parents insisted that they were very active. We talked, the kids played, we chased the kids, the kids laughed (at our pitiful attempts). It was fun for Inger and David to see how high our 'little monsters' could climb and that they knew how to extract the magnetic tape from a VCR cartridge. Later on in the evening, the chocolate covered sugar bombs with more sugar are passed out quickly followed up by frozen sugar fruit drinks on a stick with extra sugar and a second helping of chocolate bombs. Once the children have consumed 50% of the treats and smeared the other 50% on themselves and anything fabric or non-washable in sight. The terrible Two Tempers start to shine. It was a wonderful time and exhausting for all of us. The Neighbor with Twins and the surprise visit from the other neighbor with a two-year old and Dog ... it was all fun, but 7 adults can never hope to keep up with 5 children hopped up on sugar and frantic 'its getting late' energy. We called it a night at about 6:30 and rounded up the troops. We did our goodbye's and eagerly anticipated the cessation of hostilities from the kids once we got on the road. Withing minutes, Alexis had nodded off and Jacob went into a trance, watching the scenery go by. The evening went well. Alexis slept for a bit longer on the couch while Jacob, in his typical weird way, enjoyed his cold shower. Why possesses him to turn on the cold water and then let the shower rain the little ice-cubes down on him is beyond me. He dances and shrieks in joy as his befuddled parents watch on. The giggles and laughter wake his sister so it promptly becomes all business. Warm bath, followed by warm milk and off to bed. 8:30pm ... time for mommy and daddy to get to work. We got things to do, no matter how tired we may be. We listen to Alexis chatter for 30 minutes and we set off on our tasks. I have the memories from the evening to console me as I happily labor away to make a better tomorrow for our children.