Growth.

The Mom's parade while the kids chant "Hey Mister, give me some more!" and we drop candy and coins and trinkets into their bags. I wish someone had video of this. I'm laughing again just picturing the ridiculousness that was us.

Less than 1/2 of the group.

Pre dinner chaos. I think that this was the part where the super heros were battling the princesses. It was chaotic, and I was proud to see some of our boys in princess regalia, and some of our girls being super heros.

Luke takes being Batman very, very seriously.

Playroom fun at the onset of the evening.

Certain events just show me how much life is changing. We had an impromptu Fat Tuesday party here yesterday. I had offered up the house for an early evening/dinner playgroup as I knew Nate was out of town, and I was going to order some pizza and keep it easy and see who was free. With our kids school schedules all over the place, so many younger siblings who have morning naps to consider, and so many husbands who travel or work late, afternoon/dinner playgroups have sprung up left and right. This is like our third or fourth get together in the past week.

When I realized that it was Fat Tuesday, and started getting messages from my friend Erin about bringing beads and parading and whatnot.....I decided to throw a little party. So in lieu of pizza, I was going to make jambalaya. Never made it before, but hey, I like to cook, right? So, on Monday night I looked at several recipes on line, got the general gist of it, and in true 'Melissa hates to be told what to do recipes are so bossy' form, I decided to wing it. I straightened up Monday night while the bigs watched a show. Dropped them off at preschool on Tuesday morning, and went straight to the store with Jake. Got what I figured might work. Got home, put everything away, and ran, with Jake crying much of the way (super not fun). Picked up the bigs, chopped the billion things that needed chopping while all three played hotwheels. Got them all off to bed, and cooked while I played on the internet. By 3:30 PM, a jambalaya was created, the house was clean, and we were ready. By 4:30, 25 ish people were here.

I marvel at the way that this same group of women was childless just over 4 years ago, and last night, with just 7 of the total 14 or so playgroup members here, there were 16 children in my house. It is LOUD! There is running! There is super hero talk, and all sorts of strange things that we never envisioned when we used to sit around with our newborn babies on little blankets on the floor, tentatively bonding and sharing over birth stories and nursing information and fears about giving up our careers. Now, 4 short (yet prolific) years later, we already are seasoned veterans.

I will never forget my first drive to the playgroup we created out of the BMHBF group. I was nervous like it was a first date! I can't forget the first time I hosted ~ our 110 year old house was too small to host all of us, so we headed to a park at the end of my block. I was a nervous wreck again ~ I think that I bought drinks and snacks to feed 100, not the 10 that we were that day. Now? Now, the floor may only be semi-clean, the snacks may be random and insufficient, the jambalaya may be improvised, Jake may have teething snot running down his face.....but none of it matters. I know that my friends know where the glasses are, they know what to bring, they know how imperfect I am, and we love one another just as we are.

Community is necessary as a Mom. Having friends who love me, who love my kids, who can laugh and who can cry with me is what keeps me sane, many days. I love this process of becoming okay with showing and sharing all of my many imperfections, and knowing that we are all so different....yet so very much the same as we share this 'motherhood' gig.