The world is just so small... seriously. About a year ago we moved from Omaha-he-ho to DC. When we got here I quickly discovered that my children's friends did not come with us and my kids were constantly saying things like "We're Bored!" or "I miss Omaha-he-ho" and "I hate DC, I hate you, I hate everything!" I decided it was time to find them some friends.
We homeschool, so finding friends may at times be challenging. It was not challenging in Omaha-he-ho because we were there long enough to feel at home and we lived in the kind of small town where everyone knew everyone and friends were a dime a dozen. When you homeschool, many moms take advantage of homeschool groups where the dress code may very well be denim jumpers for moms, but there is never a shortage of kids to be friends with-good solid kids. The kind that know how to chop wood and sew quilts. The kind that know how to survive for a week in the wilderness when they wander off from their boy scout camp and the kind that know how to ice skate, play Mozart on the piano, whip up a tatter tot casserole, and speak 4 different languages. Fabulous kids! Kids that one day will govern this great Nation of ours!
I found the name of a homeschool group based out of Fort Belvoir Army Post. I called the membership coordinator and she promptly convinced me to find a less task oriented group (she must have been my soul sister because she was so wise to think that I did not want a group where I have to host teas, or have to cut out 500 bunny ears made out of construction paper for the annual Easter Egg Hunt!) I remember thinking to myself "This is one cool chick-I could totally see having her as a friend."
But, when you homeschool another sad fact is that you don't put as much effort into finding friends for yourself as you do for your children, so I sadly looked at the fact that she lived 30 minutes from me and that I just didn't have time for a new friend. Now is the time in the post where you can say "awww" and feel sorry for me as I am locked away in this house of mine with my children and the only time I get away is when I go to the grocery--or the liquor store, which ever is closer.
Around January, I started toying with the idea of starting a Blog. I wanted to do this for two reasons, the first being that I have a lot to say and no one listens to me in my house and the second is that I needed to let the world know that my husband is secretly trying to control me by constantly getting me pregnant and keeping me attached to this house with our children who are with me 24/7. It is a wicked wicked web that he is weaving let me tell you.
Anyway, I stumbled upon a blog written by a very witty, intelligent woman who, like me, was a Catholic, homeschooling, military wife. I started to comment on her blog and when I became a world famous blogger (cough cough) she started reading and commenting on my blog.
Eventually she emailed me one day (as all of my desperate fans eventually do) and I cocked my head to the side and thought "my her name looks familiar."
Long story short... it was the same wonderful woman that I had talked to on the phone a year ago who had gotten to know me so well in the span of our 20 minute conversation that she spared me a year of mandatory Friday fun days with 300 other homeschooling military families who were exhausted from all of those construction paper tasks. I may homeschool... but I don't homeschool quite like that.
Last week Michelle came over with her little gaggle of kids and spent the afternoon chatting. She didn't come empty handed as she brought us dinner as well! I cannot rave enough about her Walnut Cranberry Bread and as soon as she gives me the recipe I will post it here. You know that is something special as the only other recipe I have posted on this blog is that of an alcoholic drink called an "Irish Car Bomb."
Michelle is moving in a few weeks across the country-as the story goes for most military wives. Move, find friend, friend moves... repeat 25 more times. Good thing I know is that she will just be a computer screen away---with a stack of construction paper bunny ears half cut out next to her.
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