I'd love to get together, but...

Mom dating, What's that you ask?  It's the process of meeting "dating" other moms to see if you could be friends.  Do you have enough similarities to be able to have playdates?.... do our kids get along?... can we handle being around each others kids? Please... you know that's the truth.  Kids pick up so much from others, that yes... I do want my kids to play with other kids that have qualities that I want my kids to pick up on.  MANNERS!!! is the main one for me.  I cannot stand disrespectful children.
Yea... I get it.  I can't control who my children play with forever. But I sure can right now... and right now they are being shaped by their environments. So... yea. For now... I have no shame picking their friends.

So, mom dating...I seriously believe it's harder than dating in my 20's ever was.  lets be real for a second ladies.   It's not easy... nor is it really any fun to try and make friends with other moms. Other women are tough. I don't fit in with the ""fit moms"... I wear yoga pants because it's easy (and maybe I slept in the last night...don't judge, I know I'm not alone) not because I'm headed to that popular yoga class.  I have a YMCA membership for the kids classes and the inside splash pad and playground and on the occasion we aren't to tired. Alston and I will have a "date" at the gym.  Working out together while the girls are in the provided daycare.   I don't fit in with the "fashion moms"... I'm a hot mess.  I refuse can't wake up early to put my face on.  The best thing I ever did was almost 8 years ago I had my eye liner tattooed on and it was/is a game changer! Doesn't matter how sleep deprived I am, that eyeliner is a lifesaver! The "crunchy mom" group... what a group.  I have quite a few crunchy mom characteristics... I exclusively nursed my girls till 11 months, I love essential oils, we clothed diaper for awhile with Aubrie ( that lasted about 6 months), we co-slept, we are homeschooling, I baby wore the girls....but...that's were it stops for us.  I had an epidural with both girls, I'm passionate about vaccinating,  I love my family to eat healthy, but I'm not ashamed to hand my kid a mcdonalds chicken nugget, a bowl of fruit loops or non-organic strawberries.  Heck... I probably picked that strawberry up off the ground and blew on it before handing it back to Olivia.

So... were do I fit in?

I long for like minded mom friends... ones that enjoy their kids, love their husbands, can be spiritual sisters for me, if you have an addiction love for coffee even better!.. but those kinds of friends.  They are spending time with their families just like I am.  So we really don't get to hang out.  We long to... we text (because actually talking on the phone never happens...there's always a toddler meltdown or a round of kid fight club to break up), we attempt to make play dates but they just don't happen as often as wed like.  Why?  Because we genuinely love being with our little families. And that's okay. This is a season in my life that I want to be present in.  Alston has made it possible for me to stay home with the girls and I am beyond thankful for that. On our weekends when we have Alston all to ourselves...we are selfish.  We like to be together... going places, exploring...just being together. 

So for my friends that we only get to talk or see each other at gymnastic practice, or during bible study, or via early morning or late night text.  Please know that your friendship means the world to me. I know that for now, this is how our friendship will be.  And one day, we can actually sit down and have a fresh cup of coffee that hasn't been reheated 3x and have a conversation that doesn't include diaper changes or breaking up fights.

I love you my friends!!

*** Sweet Summer time is made of moments like this with my girls ***