Oliver's first sleepover

Last year in May Isaiah and Micah came over to our house for a sleepover at our house and then a few weeks later Ian attended a sleepover at their house, which was his first time sleeping over at someone a friend's house. Nadia attended a sleepover at Grace's house in 2018 and 2019. Prior to the beginning of the pandemic, I had invited Micah and Isaiah over for a sleepover at our house in May. When we entered the yellow phase, I talked with Tab about rescheduling a sleepover, and she told me that Isaiah (who will be turning 7 at the end of this month) didn't feel comfortable sleeping over at a friend's house. She invited the boys to a sleepover at her house. Oliver kept saying he didn't want to sleep at their house; just like Isaiah he preferred for them to come here. On Tuesday night the boys had planned to sleep outside with Camden, Damien, and a few others. They had set up four tents, but since we don't own a tent Ian and Oliver were just attempting to sleep in a sleeping bag on the ground. My boys had fun playing hide and seek in the dark with their friends, but they were ready to go to sleep around 10pm. I had left the back patio light on and left the sliding glass door unlocked in case the boys needed to use a bathroom, get a drink, or wanted to sleep in their beds. They came back to sleep in their beds shortly after I went to bed. Paul was still up when they came back home. Oliver usually goes to bed at 8:30, and Ian usually goes to bed at 9:00 so they were both up later than usual.

Yesterday we arrived at Tab's house at 1:45. The kids tried out the boys' new zipline, and Nadia enjoyed a little bit of time with Ruby and Maggie. Then we all went to Dan's parents' house to swim in their swimming pool for about three hours. Jan, Tab, and I sat outside while seven kids (a niece and nephew of Tab were also there) had fun swimming together. Nadia and I came home and ate dinner before Nadia went online for the 6:05 Wednesday night youth service. Nadia and I will be picking the boys up this afternoon. Hopefully the four boys are having an enjoyable time together! I am very thankful for Tab and her family. For the last year or so I have been listing Tab as the emergency contact on forms I fill out that require me to list more than just Paul and I. Hopefully no one will ever have a need to call her in that capacity. Prior to Maurice's passing filling out the emergency contact portion of a form was not an emotional task. Since that dreaded phone call from the campus police last year began with the statement that I had been listed as Maurice's emergency contact, I think of him every time I see the words "emergency contact."