Mom's Evening Out

As I've stated before, we are a part of a homeschooling group here in Mason City. We have a website that we post things to if we want, either questions or sharing ideas, and then they let us know of different field trips etc through the site as well. The group also has a co-op every Monday for 2 hours, where kids can do PE, music, and art. There is preschool time and a nursery also at that time. The mothers are the ones who get together and teach these classes, and the kids do a play/musical once each semester. It really is a neat thing they have going on here. The kids can't be a part of the Monday activities until next semester because we moved here too late to be enrolled, but we plan to attend next semester.
Well, Thursday night was Mom's Evening Out. All the moms in the group get together someplace (This last time it was Carlos O'Kelley's.) and just do what we all do best....talk! It was a lot of fun. I didn't know anyone going into it, and I felt sort of like a kid on the first day at a new school or something. LOL! I didn't even know if I would be able to figure out where they were sitting! I walked in and asked the hostess if there was a group of moms there, and she said she didn't know but I was welcome to look around. Ok, that would be hard for me even if I DID know some of the moms due to my eyesight, so I was like, "Great! What am I gonna do now?" But, fortunately, these two ladies who were sitting on a bench nearby heard me (We moms have great hearing!) One of them asked, "Are you with the homeschool group?" (insert Hallelujah chorus....) I went over , and we introduced ourselves. They seemed like nice, cool people, so then I had to ask an uncomfortable question because Lance required that I ask it as soon as I got there....."Uh...do either one of you go past McDonalds when you drive home?" Yep, they looked at me like I was a weirdo...like, "Who wants to know?" So, I went quickly on to explain..."I'm legally blind and not allowed to drive. my husband brought me here, and he needs to know if someone can bring me home tonight so he knows if he can put the kids to bed at their normal time or not." I could see that "Who wants to know" look leave right away, and they both eagerly offered me a ride home. Whew! Talk about an ice-breaker!
The rest of the evening went a lot smoother. There were only five of us all together, which they said it usually is 15-20, so we were a little low this week, but it was just as good because I think smaller groups are nicer...more conversation, you know? Anyway, we had a blast! I had never been around so many homeschool moms before (Yes I know there were only four others, but no, I had never been around that many before! LOL!) I was so relieved to find out that they were so real....like me! I mean, if you read books about homeschooling or read on the Internet about what homeschool families are like, I mean, talk about the pressure! These women get up with the rooster, make their own clothes, grow their own food, have chickens and goats and other animals to take care of and they, in turn, take care of them (if you know what I mean...) make quilts, bake fresh bread and cookies every day, and homeschool 8 kids. You might think I am exaggerating, but really only a little. We get up at 7:30, eat cereal, I bake maybe once/ week, and I can barely sew a button on, much less, make clothes for my family! LOL! These women aren't like the ones in books etc. They like easy-fixin meals, and one complained that either she did well with school or she did well with getting her house clean, but she couldn't seem to do both well in the same day! Ha! I'm not the only one! I guess what I am getting at, is it is a relief that I am dong just fine, and I am normal. =)
Anyway, we had a great time talking and laughing! I can't wait to get to know them better. It has been hard not knowing anyone here! Lance knows people. He goes golfing with friends etc, and I have nobody to chat with or hang out with or go anywhere with yet. I felt , when I was out with these girls, that I hadn't talked "girl talk" like that with anyone for a long time (excluding talking on the phone). It was just a good night!
Oh, and getting a stand mixer ( I want a Bosch) might be a necessity. I almost blew up our mixer last night trying to make Jakob pizza crust! LOL! It smelled terrible, but no smoke! LOL! I know, in Laura Ingalls Wilder's time, she would have just kneaded the dough by hand, but I'm a modern woman! I use toilet paper instead of a rag to wipe, I don't wear long dresses with long sleeves in 95-degree weather, and I would rather a machine help me make any short-cuts I can get! =) Laura was a sensible woman. I'm sure she would have used a stand mixer with a dough hook if it were available to her!
Well, Carter will need to go back to his mom's here soon, so I better get off of here.