The Hits Just Keep Coming...

See, I told you I'd come back! And, I have a couple of things to talk about since I last posted. Besides the fact that I've kept myself busy and away from the computer as much as possible over the last couple of weeks, I've also taken on a couple of outside responsibilities:
1) One of my mommy friends from Ohio sent me an e-mail last week asking if I'd write a guest post for her blog, and I jumped at the opportunity. It's been a long time since I've written anything with a clear purpose (besides my blog), and the subject is something with which I have a little experience. She wanted me to answer a question that a lot of women probably ask sometimes: why would a man become an OB/GYN? Since my hubby's been in the field for a while now, I knew I could give a pretty good, straightforward answer based on our own experiences. If you want to learn more, just head over to Momma Bear's blog and check my post out. While there, you might want to read some of her other great posts. She's a stay-at-home-mom of a 3-year-old, a 2 1/2-year-old, and a 10-month-old! How she does it, I don't know, but she's one tough, gutsy momma! Thanks, Momma Bear, for letting me share my perspective with you and your readers.
2) After my last post, I decided to really start getting involved in my local moms group. V and I started going to almost every scheduled meet-up, which kept us busy and also gave us a chance to interact with other moms and their kids. Last week, one of the moms asked one of the organizers of the group about another organizer who'd recently stepped down from her position. Apparently, she has a lot going on right now and needed a break from her responsibilities. Since V and I have become involved with the group and manage to appear at most of the scheduled meet-ups, I thought it might be a good idea to volunteer to help the other organizers. They were happy that I was willing to do so, and as of this morning, I'm now an assistant organizer. My only responsibilities will be to schedule a few meet-ups each month, preferably on Fridays when the other organizers won't be available, and to make certain I attend those meet-ups, so I can greet any new moms who join the group to make them feel welcome. I'm really excited about this because I think it'll help me feel more a part of the group. Plus, I'll have the chance to meet and greet new moms, help them get acquainted with the group, and help them find activities that they may have not known about before they joined up. I'm sure I'll post more about this as I get more involved.

Besides these two big opportunities that have crossed my path, I've also scheduled my first sewing lesson for tomorrow, and I've been trying to keep up with the books being read for a book club formed by most of the moms in the moms group. B and I have hosted several board gaming and D&D parties at our house the last couple of months, I've been able to spend some girl time with a college friend who lives here in town, I've had a play date with one of my neighbors and her baby girl and hope to do it again in the future, and I've really become familiar with all the kid-friendly activities in town. Though the new year started out a little slow, things are really starting to look up, and I feel like I'm beginning to truly enjoy my new home and home town.
I hope you all have a great week, and I'll try to post again, soon!
Best,
Amanda

Getting To Know You, Part 3

It's really been a week of new experiences for us. V and I just returned from our first meet-up with a large group of moms in our new city. First of all, I think that Mamasource.com is the best website in the world, especially if you're a new parent (yes, dads can use the website, too) and if you're new to an area. Just type in your zip code, and you're instantly connected to other parents in your town. That's how I met the amazing moms and dads in our old city in Ohio, and it's basically how I met the group of moms here in Indiana, today. I sent out a request on Mamasource for information on any play groups in the area who might be interested in more members. In less than a day, I received two responses to my request, one of which inviting me to join a group through another website called Meetup.com. The site is great because not only do members post little profiles about themselves, but they're also provided with a calendar of events. Members can RSVP in advance for specific events and see who may be joining them. The particular moms group I joined had a meet-up today at the local Barnes & Noble for coffee for the adults and play time for the kids. The store is minutes away from our house and it looked as though a lot of moms were going to be there, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for V and I to meet other people. I'm so glad we went! V had so much fun playing with the other kids, especially at the Thomas the Train set located in the Children's Section of the store. I had a great time meeting some of the other moms and getting to know them and their children. One mom and I in particular seemed to hit it off fairly quickly. She and I have a lot in common right now: our sons are only a day apart in age (though she has an infant son, as well); she used to teach and now stays at home with her boys; her husband is going to be starting a new job, too; and they all just moved to the area about a month ago from another state. It was nice to find someone else in the same boat as us. We didn't stay at the store for very long, since it was close to V's nap time, but I'm already looking forward to future meetings with this group of moms. I've gathered from the calendar of events that they try to meet several times a week, so everyone has an opportunity to get to know each other at some point. I liked the informal atmosphere of the meet-up today and that there will be gatherings at all sorts of places throughout the city in the future. Also, they had a "moms only" game night last month, which sounded like a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to more activities like that, so I can get to know the ladies themselves a little bit better. Hopefully, both V and I will gain lifelong friendships with some of the moms and their kids. All in all, I'm pretty excited about living here!
Best to you all,
Amanda