Our New Friends

This past fall, we enrolled John (and me) in a "preschool co-op". John and I go every Thursday morning, 9:30-11:30. We play and visit and climb and bounce and sing and listen to stories and paint and get wet and play with dough and glitter.

John has made some great new friends there - Benjamin, Wyatt, Andy, Quinn, Wyatt, Wentworth, Ty, Mason, Elisabella. And he is joined by his 3 best friends since birth - Perry, Reese, & Emilia.

I have made some wonderful friends as well - Cathy, Nancy, Susan, Stacey, Kristina, Leilani, Lara, Norma, and "Teacher Brenda". And I am joined by 2 of my very best friends - Jenny & Ann.

Everytime we drive by school, John cries and wants to go there to play. And I look forward to our Thursdays, wishing we all met another day (or two) each week. The rooms at co-op are filled with chatter and laughter - mostly from the moms. The children are pretty quiet, playing alongside each other. The moms don't stop talking and laughing and sharing and asking and joking and wondering.

We use each other as sounding boards for all the issues that come up with child-raising and being wives, mothers, and women. We share recipes and tips on how to get the children to eat vegetables. We discuss weaning from bottles and potty training. We give each other ideas for activities on snowy-rainy days and make plans to meet at a park the next day...to give the children a chance to play, of course, but mostly to give us a chance to visit again. I admire these women so much. They make me laugh like no one else can right now. They help me keep things in perspective. They help me feel as if I'm not an understimulating mom or boring person. Because many days, I feel sorry for poor John, stuck at home with me. My friends make me feel special and needed and appreciated.

We found out last night (we all got together at a local restaurant for a baby shower) that most of us are in our upper 30s through mid-40s. The youngest woman is 33, the oldest is 45. Six of the moms (out of 11) are pregnant, including the 33 and 45 year-olds. I'm so relieved to know I am not the oldest. I FEEL the oldest most days, but many of the women are my age or close.

We have all registered for co-op for next fall, thankfully. I don't know what I'd do without the women or children. I'm beginning to love them like old friends. I am beginning to rely on them and need to see them at least once a week. When one is missing from school, I really miss them and wonder what's wrong. We are trying to get together to play at least one day each week, and will continue that through the summer. Whew. I don't know what I'd do without them. I love my friends.

He Remembered

Yes, he remembered my birthday 2 days later. He was looking at the calendar, checking his work schedule, as I was setting the table for dinner. I heard him count the days, figuring out the current date. Then his jaw dropped and he turned pale. I heard him mumble, "Oh, my god, oh, my god...." It was all I could do not to laugh. He walked in to John and me in the living room and said, ashen faced, "Sweetie, I have something to tell you....I forgot your birthday. I can't believe it." I didn't react, I didn't get mad or sarcastic. I just said, "I know." He asked me why I didn't remind him (can you believe it????) and I told him of the UMPTEEN times I reminded him. He admitted to that, then apologized and felt so badly. He will make it up to me, he said. I told him I want a whole day for my birthday, to end in a lovely dinner with the 3 of us. I'm still figuring out what exactly I want and will let him know when I am good and ready. (: