Where My Moms At?

I took myself out to lunch today.

Most of my mom friends (Playground Crew) have new schedules now that our kids are in different schools so we don't pal around as much as we did last school year.  I'm kind of a loner type so thought that would be fine by me.

No worries.  Grab a tea, read a book, introspect and write.  I am on it.  Just like college.

Lunch was decidedly great.

This is fun!

I tried a Pho restaurant I've had my eye on since we moved here. 

 Bean sprouts.  I still don't get what to do with them.

Tea was sweet, single sized, and freaking lonely as all hell.

Just one cup?  Not even room for two.

Truth is, I think this school transition has all of us moms bumping into doorways and forgetting our keys.

We are taking longer to transition into this kindergarten thing than our kids.

The moms I once clung to when we dropped off our scared three-year olds are gone.  The moms with whom I huddled in preschool hallways to chat about new projects, traveling husbands, and potty training are missing.  We are now in some other big school hallway with brand new moms saving cell numbers under "New Contacts."

We knew it was going to happen.  A few of us lamented about how strange it was going to be, suddenly being forced to break up with each other and move on before any of us were really ready.

"It's going to suck not seeing you every day."
"Maybe we can still grab lunch when I'm in town for work?"
"Yes, we will still be touch.  It's not like we're moving out of state or anything."

Except it is.  It is exactly like we all moved to different zip codes with different bus routes and separate Back-to-School nights.  The women we shared two to three years with discussing (often too many) details of our children's pink eye have flown the coop.

We are pushed out of our warm nests, forced onward to figure out new routines, lunch menus, and school policies.

I miss my preschool moms.

My kids have moved on.  They are making new friends and even seem happy about starting over.

I thought I was pretty good at moving on myself, giving credit to our multiple moves and outgoing-TMI-in-the-first-5-minutes-I-meet-you nature, but this time I am feeling a somewhat sideswiped.

We will all move on to make new nests, possibly even bigger warmer nests but right now I'm missing my old one with predictable laughter, sarcastic eye rolls, and sincere shoulder squeezes that I would give anything to feel tomorrow morning at school drop off.