Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Mothers and More




As fate would have it, a local paper assigned me the task of a 750 word article on the organization Mothers & More. With 7500 members in the U.S. and beyond, this is a monthly membership group (fee very small) that emphasizes the mom as a woman, not just a mother. There are playdates throughout the month and tons of community service, too. My favorite part about the group is the idea of "sequencing": that women will go in and out of the work force to justify the needs of her family - and this is okay.

The woman I interviewed also emphasized "non-judgemental" parenting. Here's the group for those of you who might be interested in finding out more in a location near you.http://www.mothersandmore.org/index.html) The Conejo Valley chapter is offering a Moms Night Out at Maggianos one night - an Italian restaurant with old world charm and new world carbs. I'll be the giant at the new members table screaming "Mangi mangi! Pass the vino!"

In another act of serendipity, it turns out that the meeting I was invited to attend takes place in Westlake - close to my inlaws, who we visited today. Beginning with fruit and bagels on their porch, followed by a trip to the largest library in the universe (resplete with fountains, Pottery Barn style patio tables in an outside garden, an aquarium and kids section the size of Manhattan.) We finished our day with lunch at El Pollo Loco where the kids not only ate their chicken, but did not get loco.

Toddler J (Texas Lizzy's little girl) started Catholic pre-K today. Go Toddler J! Looking like she does, I'd stick that kid in a convent by Tuesday.

With peace in the house, I have the options now of editing, gardening, doing a load of laundry or starting dinner.

I'm thinking coffee, peanut butter toast, CMT and a nap work, too.

Pictured: Toddler J ready to learn her ABC's, arithmetic and break hearts. Also pictured, Mtn Meg at a volleyball tournament where her group of ladies were entitled "Got Milk?" Meg, Texas Lizzy and I were a tight knit trio from our all girls highschool days.

Given that Lizzie and I constantly barage Meg (a single career gal) with photos of our kids, I think she intentionally only sends us photos of herself tan and flat bellied. She might not like me publishing her photo on the web, but since she's too busy flying to Paris, dating exciting men, climbing Mt. Whitney, participating in tri-athalons and volleyball tournaments (and sometimes hanging out with us - she is my Pipsqueak's Godmother and no better peson could have been chosen) she has no time to read this boring mommy blog. So she'll never know what I really want to say to her at this moment: "FUCK. OFF." (With love, of course.)

2 comments:

Teri M. said...

Oh, at first I thought that maybe the picture of the woman with the snake was from the meeting. LOL

1. Yay - writing assignment!
2. The group sounds really interesting.
3. Our library is in a strip mall. I'm so jealous.
4. What a QT, in her little uniform.

Anonymous said...

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