Meeting Other Moms – Like Picking Up Dudes Back in Our Singleton Days?

Two of my Charleston besties, Susie and Sam!

Have you ever noticed how similar meeting other moms is to meeting guys back in our singleton days?  I realized this when I first moved to Charleston almost two years ago. Luckily, I found a group of moms I connected with so well, I didn’t worry about looking anymore.  I was no longer on the market.  Other moms at the park were just “the others”.  I had my besties in Charleston.

Now that I find myself in a new town with two young boys and endless parks and playgrounds, I want someone to share my time with.  Someone who will make me laugh.  Someone who I can chat with about mothering, movies (ha! Like I’ve seen any new releases in the last several months!), favorite restaurants, dieting, reality TV and, of course, Oprah.

About six weeks ago, how long have I lived here in Florida anyway???, I discovered Destin’s one, and only, Chick-fil-A.  It’s about a fifteen minute drive from my home, not unlike many of the outings I’d travel to in Mt. Pleasant when I did live in the Charleston area. But this Chick-fil-A is a mom magnet!  A good mom magnet, mostly! And it’s a haven for a mom with two rambunctious boys who like to find an escape route from any and all playgrounds…this playland has only one way in and one way out.  And spacious, laptop-ready, shaded picnic tables!

This particular day this week was not unlike each day I’ve spent there over the last several weeks.

I spot her first. Or I think I do. She’s cute.  Stylish! She has equal to or more kids than I, so I know she’ll “get” me. We smile at one another. Finally, one of us gets enough nerve to speak up.

“How old is your little cutie?”

“Three-and-a-half. How about your little girl?  How old is that precious doll?”  See, we're both trying to impress with flattery!

“Just turned four.”

Cool.  We’ve got kiddos close to the same age. 

“Do you live here?” Remember, we live in a highly touristy town-so this is a mandatory question!

“Yes, we moved here a couple of years ago.  We’re Air Force. You?”

“We just moved here a couple of months ago.  It’s great!”

“Yeah, it is.”

Quiet.

That uncomfortable silence.  We both pick up our phones.  I’m checking my e-mail, trying desperately to be cool.  I glance up, she’s looking up.  Good, maybe she’s interested.

“Where did you move here from?” She’s asking me this!  Yay, she wants to talk!

“Charleston, South Carolina.”

“Oh, it’s beautiful there!”

“Yes, it is!  We really enjoyed it there!  But it’s gorgeous here!”

And over the next 20 – 30 minutes we talk about our kids and schools and friends and church and other playgrounds in the area.

“Emma Jane, 5 more minutes and we have to go pick up your sister.”

That’s when the panic sets in.  Do I ask for her number?  Will she ask for mine?  We’ve got cell phones now, we can easily type it in.  No pens or paper needed.  What if I never see her again!

We chat a few minutes more. 

“Emma Jane, put on your shoes please.  It’s time to go.”

I decide I’m not going to ask for her number- that’d be desperate.

“Thank you so much for all the tips you’ve given me on this area.  I can’t wait to start checking out preschools!”  I say, a little too peppy.

“Absolutely!  We’re here every week, usually Mondays or Thursdays.  I’m sure we’ll see you again!  It was nice to meet you!  Emma Jane, let’s go.”

And she warmly says good-bye. We tell our kids to say good-bye to one another too.  They leave.

I feel good about this one.  She was sincere.  Sweet.  Whose got time for numbers anyway with raising our kids!  I pack up my boys and we head out to our car.  My son says, “when are we going to see Emma Jane again?” 

“Soon, baby. Soon.” And I say this with great faith. 

p.s. Did you know you can turn in your unopened "toy" from the kids meal and swap it for a small ice cream.  May be at participating stores, but it worked at ours in Destin.  Yum!