Not that I'm complaining. My husband gave me lots of breaks, but they came in the form of taking the girls for walks or keeping them entertained at the beach so I could read.
And as my children got older and the concepts of "play dates" and "mommy and me" became popularized I scoffed at the these overly structured parenting activities. Weren't you just supposed to throw your kids outside in the backyard on a nice day and lock the door for a few hours? That is what my mom did and since none of my peers had children when I did, I had no other role models -- at least that is my excuse.
Anyway, about the time the notion of "play dates" hit it's peak, another idea also became popularized -- "mom's night out." This isn't a bunch of friends getting together for a good time. It is an organized structured outing. Thank god, at this point my children were well into two digits and I felt no need to participate.
However, last night my sister-in-law called me up she was excited "I'm going to my mom's night out! You know I told you. Your brother's watching the kids. It is over by your house. Did you want to come?"
So, I found myself at BJ's one of those awful chain restaurants that have taken over suburbia and are now even moving into downtown areas to punish everyone. The table was filled with women my age (OK maybe a little younger) all of whom had had children no older than 5. Hmmmmm so the conversations went something like:
Some pregnant woman who looks like she will pop any moment, "Oh, We just went to pre-kindergarten day for Jamie. It was so much fun, but I hope he is emotionally ready for school." Me "Oh, I get my daughter from college in a couple of weeks. I don't know if I am emotionally ready for her to come home."
Another woman with tattoos on her shoulder, "We don't know what to do about Darcy's potty mouth." Me "Yea, the potty mouth thing is tough. I don't know what to do with the morning after pill prescription that I found in my 16 year old's bedroom." I actually sort of hoped that she might have a suggestion for me, but I guess the tattoos were just for show.
OK, so the conversations probably didn't really happen quite that way, if at all, and I actually did have fun, but I definitely had more fun when my sis-in-law came back to my house just the two of us for a little "wine and whine"........ We can try to organize fun and friendships, for our kids and for ourselves, but it isn't the same as finding a true friend who is there for you no matter what.
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