Friday, March 8, 2013

My basement has come alive

My basement has come alive--not in a creepy way. In a cool, noisy, Friday-fun, this-is-the-place-to-be sort of way. At last count, there were 9 high school swimmers here...plus the 2 that live here...plus Youngest, who slips down to grab snacks, then comes back upstairs, where he has complete control over the family room. The older kids not only tolerate him, but often include him, asking him to leave only when the too-old-for-12-year-olds movie is about to start.

They poured through the front door a while ago, a laughing, happy hoard of great kids who know how to have fun without ending up in jail. My kind of kids. A couple of the girls carried pans with goodies, one still warm from the oven. These are also kids who share....yum!

Shouts and hoots of laugher, punctuated by squeals from the girls leaked up the stairs and through the vents. Darts thumped against the board and music blared. Not window-shaking loud, but loud enough to dance upstairs if we wanted to. The teasing and game-playing lasted a while, and then a couple ventured upstairs. Bags of chips, bottles of soda, the carried-in goodies...all disappeared downstairs. They came back for plates and cups and even napkins.

The lights are lower down there now, and voices are quieting, but not silent, as the sounds of the movie start. This is not by any means silent movie watching. In fact, I think that there is often a gender-split debate over the merits the chosen movie. I have no idea who usually wins.

I know that as the night continues, it will get quieter still. It won't be a super-late night, and there won't be a mess when they leave. Like I said, my kind of kids. I love that they come here. I love that Oldest and Middle have this group of friends. I love that Youngest watches and learns about friendship and being part of a group from these kids. And right now, I love that my basement has come alive.

12 comments:

  1. My kids are still young to have have evenings of hanging out, but this sounds perfect. I love how my house is the neighborhood house to hang out at, Ihope it is still the place to be when they grow older. Enjoy the noise!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would love to be the neighborhood hangout house, but I am finding that my daughter does not want to invite her friends over to the "yeah, my mom's a teacher at our school" house. I'm hoping that will change when she hits high school and she no longer sees me in the hallways every day.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You seem to have just the right attitude to keep them coming to your house.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I echo Kristen's comments, my kids are too young to have a hang out house. Yours sounds great and it's fantastic that you get to be around (at least in the same house) for some of these fun times.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a wonderful way to spend an evening, listening to the sounds of your kids with their friends and knowing they are safe. This is a happy home.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I know I don't say this often but, I miss high school! Your post made me miss those evenings hanging out with friends in their basements- playing euchre and watching movies. Have fun, and enjoy the snacks!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have a feeling that your "kind of kids" view you as their kind of mom. Your description of the noise and energy has such a cozy feel to it. You make such a good point about the model that youngest is experiencing. You can't orchestrate that kind of thing, but it sure is nice to capitalize on it!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great title to draw readers in. Isn't it great to be able to listen in?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Loved the 'laughing happy hoard.' Great kids and a lively basement. Thank you for sharing this warm moment!

    ReplyDelete
  10. We were the football team hangout for many years. I loved, loved, loved having kids around all the time. Really miss it now (even if my cupboards are fuller!)

    ReplyDelete
  11. This event definitely lends itself to a post--one with all the senses and then some. I was dying to find out the name of the movie they chose. I can see you on your sofa now, typing away. I think you've started your young adult novel.

    ReplyDelete
  12. In between the lines, I can sense how much this soothes your soul.

    ReplyDelete