Making new friends

Are you part of a "mom clique"? You know, an impenetrable group of moms who are as thick as thieves. They know everything about each other and each other's families. They have dinner together, go on shopping excursions to quaint, all-American towns, and watch each other's kids. Perhaps you know one of those moms. Or maybe you're one of them.

I am not one of those moms. I do, however, know plenty of them.

When I moved to New Jersey in 2001, I knew my husband and his family. That's it. Once Emma was born in Spring 2002, we enrolled in Mommy & Me classes so that she could be around other babies and so that I could meet other moms. Fat chance. Actually, I did meet two moms. We spent some time together outside of our classes. Took the kids for walks on the local boardwalks, had play dates at our houses, local parks, and the beach. But beyond that, the friendships never expanded.

The years passed, and it really wasn't until this year that I actually started to make quality friends, women with whom I connected on a level other than constantly chatting about our kids. They were moms of Harper's preschool classmates. Some I had met in Mommy & Me classes at our local recreation center. Others were new acquaintances. We soon became Facebook friends and were continually commenting on pictures and statuses.

On Friday night, we enjoyed our first outing, happy hour at a local outdoor hot spot. It was so much fun to catch up outside of the playground. I hadn't seen two of the women since preschool ended a month ago, and it was great to see them.

l. to r. back row: Kristy, Colleen, and Nancy

front row: Cathy and me

It was a fun night out with new friends. We are already scheming our next Moms Night Out!!