FIRST---it's friday so it's time to FLOG YO BLOG. Head on over to Brenda's blog
Mummytime and join this blog hop. I have found MANY of my favorite blogs this way. And have gotten lots of great followers too. Plus, Brenda is hilarious, which is good. I like hilarious. You will too.
ok. OK...
I wish I could make friends as easily as my first grader does.
At a recent outing to the park, in the short span of 1 hour my son managed to make 7 friends. SEVEN.
Kids find it so easy to just go up to another kid and start a conversation.
This is what happened within the first 3 minutes of being at the park---
My little guy is playing under the monkey bars when a little boy dances up (the kid literally danced over-it was a mix of the 'robot' and and tap-dance).
New Kid: Hey, my name is Ryan but Call me Superman. I like to play here. You want to play Star Wars with me?
My son: I like to play here too. Can I be General Grevious?
NK: Sure. I will be a storm trooper but instead of a white storm trooper uniform, I wear red. I am a special forces storm trooper.
My Son makes random lightsaber-ish noises as he and new friend Ryan Superman take off running across the playground to play in a galaxy far, far, away. (On top of the slide)
Meanwhile Superman's mom and I are eye-balling each other from each of our benches to trying to figure out who should make the first move to start talking to the other.
Being in my 30's, I find it hard to make friends. Making new friends now just seems weird. When I think I am hitting it off with someone at a park the relationship rarely lasts beyond the time at the playground.
It's like speed dating in a way. You have just a few moments to size the other person up while your children are happily playing. Or, in this case, discussing politely (strange) who gets to rescue Padme (although they pronounce it PAD A MAY). I know, Star Wars fans, Neither Grevious nor a Storm Trooper would put much effort in rescuing her but 6 year olds don't care about technicalities...
Inevitably it is me who makes the first move. I walk across the playground to her bench, with my mommy heart on my sleeve in the hopes that even if we don't become busom buddies, at the very least the conversation won't be awkward or even worse, that she is an over-sharer.
Me: Hi. They (pointing to our children) seem to be hitting it off quite well!
Her: Yep.
Me: Can you believe this weather?
Her: Nope.
Me: That slide looks a bit rusty on the bottom, there. Is it possible that this is the only park in the world that still has a metal slide? Seems like they are all plastic now... (I know, salty stuff)
Her: Yeah. Plastic.
The conversation continues in this fashion until I fall asleep or get tired of trying to pry this mom out of her shell and call out to General Grievous that it is time to head to Dairy Queen for our after-park vanilla soft serve.
Someday I am hoping for THIS conversation:
Me: Hi! Our kids seem to be getting along pretty well.
Her: They sure do! I like your handbag.
Me: This old thing ?(eyelash batting) I got it on sale at Kohls...
Her: I love Kohls! I just got these new shoes there. 25 bucks! Can you believe it?
Me: Amazing! So, what do you do for fun?
Her: Oh, you know...Read...shop...eat twinkies, blog, cruise around the Great Lakes on my yacht -you should come sometime... My name is Lauren, what's yours?
Me: That sounds great! My name is Supermom, but you can call me Katie. So nice to meet you!
Until then, I appreciate the blogging topics that I have been blessed with from the moms whom I have awkward conversations with...
