Mommy's New to Town

Andy is working over time this weekend so I'm drinking my Earl Grey, and listening to Elmo's sing along entertain my two kids while I get used to being awake. Our next door neighbors Jason and Della came over last night and I had one too many glasses of wine while we played Ticket to Ride after the kids went to bed. Caffeine please.

I was thinking this morning about a conversation I had a while back with someone who said that when he and his wife moved to a Virginia, she had the hardest time assimilating and meeting new people. Many folks meet people at the gym. Although I like Yoga, I'm not really a 'gym person'.

Not me. At all... although her legs are great! *takes another bite of 2000 calorie bagel*

Many NAVY wives who move a lot have resources for this but since we all can't be NAVY wives (You guys are so awesome), sites like Meetup.com exist. 

Knowing that I'd be moving to the area in the next few months, I joined the site and met a group of mom's with kids Augie's age. We recently went on a nice stroller walk and talk. You're not going to "click" with everyone you meet but at least you're getting out there. Editor and publisher of Hip Mama, Ariel Gore said, "I've never been socially outgoing, but I suspect I've gotten more and more ambivalent about making new friends. I'm irritated by how-do-you-do chit-chat but that's how new relationships usually begin." Some have a hard time with the chit-chat. I tend to get too personal too quick. "So how was your relationship with your father?" Don't judge me.


When you're looking at perspective homes, a good site to check out is Great Schools. If you do research, everyone says that hands on homeschooling is the best option. Not all of us are quite there yet.  Some of us work full time and me? Well... I wish I had that ability. I would probably even consider it if my kids weren't social butterflies like me. Haddie's learning style specifically is more attuned to a school setting. Augie might do ok. I have a few years to decide. So for those of us who send our kids to public school, you have resources! If you have a specific school in mind, you can type in the name of the school and see reviews from parents who currently or have recently had children enrolled. If you're new to the area like myself, typing in the zip code and widening the radius a bit helped. I was able to see reading and math testing scores and my favorite part is that the ratings are based on the opinions of other parents.

When we were considering the Winston Salem area as an option I typed in "Winston Salem Mom's" into my google search and came up with a list of websites specifically for mom's in the area. There are similar resources in the Southside, Peninsula, and the Tri-Cities area (Richmond). A specific site I found incredibly helpful for our move to the Triad (WS, Greensboro, High Point) was Triad Mom's on Main. It has a myriad of resources at one's disposal. If you're interested in the area I suggest checking it out.

Bottom line? If you're moving to a new area, you don't have to rely on fate to bring you friendly neighbors and decent co-workers. As a post-partum sufferer myself, I know it's tempting but don't just sit around at home and be lonely. You have options.

The kids and our friend Mary at Jamestown Settlement in Williamsburg, Va. Kept the kids entertained for quite a while. *Two thumbs  up*