Friends are the BEST!

When Big Boy was about six months old, I joined a club, MOMS Club (stands for Moms Offering Moms Support). During the past two years, it's been a lifesaver, childsaver and husbandsaver.

And it's all because of the friends I've made there.

Some sample conversations:
"Oh, your kid beats on you, too?"
"Your husband needs 12 hours of sleep to function, too?"
"What do you do to discipline your kid, instead of screaming?"
"You have to run around the house cleaning before anyone other than family comes over, too?"

Although my husband probably would tell you that I'm already crazy, I would definitely be insane if I hadn't joined this moms club. This past July, I joined the MOMS Club board. I'm the secretary, so I write the newsletter. But the best part is that once a month, we have an official board meeting. We get together at someone's house for dinner (hosts rotate), and plan the next month's calendar, discuss business, and talk.

We talk about religion, kids, husbands, pets, work, education, finances, gardening, even our crazy college years. My favorite part, though, is that we laugh.

MB's house has a long driveway, which you have to back down since you can't turn around at the top. The first time we met there for dinner, four of us had to back down. I had SJ in my car, since we'd carpooled. LS was in front of us and had to back down, go forward, turn, back down, turn, go forward, turn, back down -- it was so funny and SJ and I were laughing so hard that I couldn't back down, either. And of course you have to turn just so at the bottom of the driveway -- no, really, you do. So I'm backing down, turning, going forward, backing down, turning, turning, going forward, turning. We're cracking up, and it's making it harder and harder for me to get out. Of course we all got out.

After that, we teased poor LS to no end, but she's a good sport. The next time we met at MB's house, she parked on the street and walked down the darn driveway. I had to back down, turn, go forward, turn, back down, turn...

I always feel so refreshed after meeting with the board -- our meetings are probably 60 percent fun and 40 percent business. I just think this illustrates the importance of having friends and of being able to share with them -- whether you're trading stories about kids throwing tantrums, saving money on groceries, how you've been neglecting your hair, or how your dinner turned out totally crappy the other night but your nice husband ate it anyway.

I am so grateful for my MOMS Club friends and ALL my friends -- especially as they've kept me from totally going over the edge.