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Home › Articles › Relationships › Monkey Business

Monkey Business

At-home Play for New Parents

By C.J. Johnson

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When Diane was 42 and Tom 46, they were blessed with a baby girl. The MacPhails whole-heartedly agree that the birth of their daughter, Katherine, totally enriched their lives, but they acknowledge the difference in their social activities. "We no longer go out to restaurants or clubs since Katherine's birth," says Tom. "Instead, we entertain at home and have friends over for dinner parties or go to other homes that have children."

Simplicity is the rule in the MacPhail household when other families are invited over for dinner. Diane wants to focus on the guests rather than fuss over an elaborate meal. "We work as a team and usually make something that can be put together quickly and easily. Spaghetti is our favorite easy meal to prepare," she says. "I handle the sauce and salad, Tom the noodles and bread."

In addition to entertaining at home, the MacPhails have learned to rely on their computer for communicating with friends and relatives. Through e-mailing and sending pictures back and forth, they have found a way to easily reconnect with old friends. Diane would rather log on than pick up the telephone. "We just don't have time to talk on the phone anymore with a baby around," she says. "It is amazing how many of our friends from the past have come back into our lives via the Internet." Husband and wife enjoy this time together and feel grateful for the added communication it has brought into their home.

Barking Up the Right Tree
Don and Tania Younker of Alberta, Canada, treasure their baby girl, Jessica, and make her their No. 1 priority, but they have also found ways to enhance their time together as a married couple. The Younker's three pet Labrador have been an outlet for entertainment and a way to spend time together with baby in tow.


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