It might come as a shock to some, but I am a very outgoing person and I will use any excuse as a reason to get a bunch of people together!
In Colorado, the fact that there was going to be a 2 hour window where it wasn't snowing in May was definitely call for a backyard barbecue! A good grade from one of my boys warranted a play date, and if anyone wanted to borrow a cup of sugar from me, they only did if they had time to spend the afternoon hanging out in my kitchen with me swapping recipes! I love loud chaotic bonding times perfect for creating memories!!
My dear husband would fall into bed exhausted after a birthday party where I invited every one I knew within a 100 mile radius. I on the other hand, had so much energy I cleaned the house from top to bottom afterwards!
And then we moved to Florida where I knew no one, and it never snowed, therefore every night was barbecue worthy!! I started to go a little stir crazy after about 45 minutes.
Two weeks after we got here, Kevin and I went into a furniture store to buy a kitchen table. The young salesman who helped us seemed about our age. I found out he had a wife and two young kids. He seemed perfect!
Kevin and I sat at a table in a corner and had a whispered conversation something like this.
"Lets ask him if he and his wife want to go to dinner!"
"Shelly, I promise I will never go out in public again with you, if you do."
"Why??"
"You don't ask your salesman that you have known for 5 minutes out on a date! That's weird!"
"Why is it weird? You have to meet people somehow."
"Well you don't pick up your furniture salesguy! I'm pretty sure its not in their job description! Oh hi, yes we are ready to check out. My wife just has to go to the bathroom. NOW!"
After we got in the car, I proudly held up the business card I swiped on the way out and threatened to call him later. Kevin told me if I did, I would have to find the other half of my double date, because he wouldn't be it!
I joined a mommy group I found online. It was a group specifically designed for mom's of boys and encouraged boys to be as energetic as boys are. I was thrilled, it sounded perfect!
It turned out this mom felt that telling her child no in any shape or form was developmentally harmful and detracted from the beauty of the immense energy contained in a boys body!
The 8 year old kept taking his clothes off, The 4 year old broke 3 separate toys in under 10 minutes, all over other children's head, and the mother was glowing! "Isn't it great that we can let our boys be boys together!!"
Liam climbed under the kitchen table soon after we got there and refused to come out! Micah hid behind me whispering in my ear that he would do all of the laundry if we would just leave immediately, and Kyler found it to be the greatest joy in the world that the mother of these boys opened several boxes of cookies and encouraged him to continue eating them even after he had already consumed a whopping 10! This mom was also a fan of "boys' appetites".
We decided not to do the online dating for friends anymore.
I have been banned from Kevin,s workplace, because I go around asking people if they have wives and kids and if they want to come over for dinner.
Thankfully, my amazing Colorado friends have used some of their new found free time upon my leaving the state to call and chat with me for an allotted amount of time ;-) I love getting the texts and Facebook messages letting me know I'm not forgotten!
Here's hoping the mailman got my little invitation to dinner I stuck in the mailbox. Who knows, he could be our next lifelong friend!!
