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!

Settling In Our New Home In Sandestin Florida

I think we’re finally settling in here in sunny, gorgeous Sandestin, Florida! To say moving with two young, very active boys is stressful is an understatement. I am finally starting to relax and feel at home.  We survived!  Really, how can you not survive when you find yourself planted in a beach resort people pay $1k a week to vacation at.  The sugary white sand beach is just a 10 minute walk from us-water warm enough to swim in late March. A mini putt-putt course and tennis courts are a hop, skip and jump from us. And our pool is even closer! 

We’re falling into our new daily routine. A half hour walk to a giant playground usually starts our day. A requirement in my world…not only does it give me a little exercise, but the kids relax in their double stroller and just watch for birds, geckos, frogs and blue herons that we so often pass by. A huge difference from them running around the house screaming and wrestling as I try to get anything done!  We get to the playground and they get to run off some of their energy.  Then I stroll them home crossing my fingers Zealand doesn’t fall asleep yet! 

Most evenings, Zac takes the boys out to ride their bikes while I get dinner ready, even after dinner while I clean up.  We’ve even found ourselves tossing a football on the golf course hoping it’s late enough we won’t here a “Fore!”.  On the nights we want to venture out to dinner with the boys, there is a Beef O’ Bradys literally right behind us and offers a booth right next to their arcade room.  Zac and I can semi-relax while the boys play.  And, yes, we do make them sit down to eat when dinner arrives!  And if the boys go down for bed easy, Zac and I can enjoy a glass of wine (or beer) gazing at the beautiful view from our back porch. 

In many ways it feels like we’re on an endless vacation, I guess until Zac goes back to work or when I remember I can’t just take them to the beach all day-I should actually clean or do laundry.  We don’t know how long we’re going to be here, but for now it is home.  And like I mentioned in yesterday’s Easter post…visitors welcome!

Here We Move Again - Leah's Move #10!

"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air..." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

My friends and family have always joked that they should write my address down in pencil.  At least, they joked about it five states ago. Now they're serious. (Though, realistically, its easier now that everyone just puts my address into their iPhones).

An exciting promotion, my husband has been offered a relocation assignment to run Sandestin, Florida's Tommy Bahama store and restaurant.  And this move will make the 10th state I will have the pleasure to live in (see map at bottom of post for the 10). We've got about three weeks left here in Charleston (for those of you who are a couple of states behind on where I actually live).  Beautiful, white sand beaches, golf courses galore await us on the panhandle of Florida.


As I've been striving towards reaching my dreams here in Charleston, I realize this move could bring us closer to that full picture:

Live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood with nice schools and enjoy good friends with backyard BBQs and birthday parties.


True, this  move will take me away from the great friends I've made here...and friends my boys have grown with over the last year and a half; so I am very sad to leave them behind.  I will miss my Mommies Night Outs with these girls most of all!  But I'm also not surprised to feel an excitement of the "new" that lay ahead. An old friend (from my middle school days in Hawaii) lives in the Destin area, a wonderful mom I'm genuinely excited about reconnecting with.  And she has been so helpful in helping us figure out where we want to find a home.  Throughout these days, I wonder...What will the area be like? The people? The restaurants? Who will I become friends with?  Will we be able to walk to the beach? Have a place that overlooks the bay?  How are the schools?  Will I actually see  my TN friends more now that we're in the same time zone? ;)

As all of these exciting thoughts run through my head, I know that nothing stays the same.  Life is always changing and this change is ultimately good.  Who knows, by the end of 2012, I could say GREAT!  So what will life be like on the Emerald Coast?  Does life drastically change when you have to get used to prime time television starting at 7pm rather than 8pm?  Do I get to move the kids bedtime back an hour, start relaxing an hour earlier and thus me going to bed an hour earlier???  I'm optimistic and ready to take on this new world by the horns.  Thankfully, I have all of you with me for the ride!

Bon Voyage!

Leah


Incidentally, this will be state #3 for both of my boys!