Don’t you just love spontaneous neighborhood play dates? Oh, the things you can do when your kids are out of the house for even the tiniest blocks of time. I once fit in a long conference call, folded several loads of laundry and swept and mopped my kitchen floor, without ever having to hang up the phone. Had my kids been in the house on this particularly busy afternoon, those clothes would still be piled on top of the dryer and my kitchen floor would resemble a diner after lunch time. I’d definitely be locked in the bathroom just to hear my own voice. Now stop your judging.  I’m not a play date whore.  I mean, well, you know what I mean. What I’m trying to say is I try to reciprocate when it comes to play dates. We like to host mega play dates at our home. There have been times when it looks like we’re having a birthday party in my backyard because there are so many kids here at one time. I get to be that Kool Aid mom I always wanted to be. (At least for a couple of hours before the wheels come off and I start to snap!)