HI, I'm ...

It's always so nice to meet new people. Now that we've moved to our HOUSE, the prospect of meeting new Moms, Dads, and kids is an exciting event.

This morning, the kiddos and I went to the park. The same park we went to on Monday morning. This time we got there about 8:30am -- when it wasn't oppressively hot. We stayed just over an hour.

Around 9am, one of the Moms in our subdivision stopped by with her two youngest (almost 5 & 3). I'd left a note in her mailbox to let her know I'd be doing an early morning park visit. So I was happy to see her and her two young ones. Our children had never met so it was nice to see them run around the play area together. She and I finally had an opportunity to chat and get to know one another. It was so nice! I'd forgotten how nice it could be. To just be in the park while the kids play and TALK to another adult. Not having to run to separate the kids because they're fighting. It's funny how the park brings out fantastic behavior in the kids.

As she and I were chatting about the upcoming school term, another Mom overheard our conversation. She broke in with questions about the local schools. The gal and her family had just moved to the area 3 weeks prior and were at a loss as to what to do during the long hot summer. She had questions about preschools and elementary schools. Turns out that her hubby was also a prior military man. So we had LOTS in common.

It's amazing how enjoyable it is to meet new people. Especially people who play an "active" role in their kids lives. During our conversation, each one of us kept active tabs on our kids. Even as we were chatting our eyes would scan the play area to make sure our kids were okay. Each one of us had to break away to comfort and help one of our kids. We didn't just idly chat amongst ourselves and let the kids fend for themselves. We made sure our kids were safe and they weren't causing issues for any other kids. You parents out there KNOW what I mean.

So I'm feeling even more comfortable living in the area we've selected. In Fall 2006, we'll have a new elementary school for our area. Sometime in Spring 2006, we'll have a new HUGE park area about 3/4 of a mile down the road. It'll have a couple baseball fields. A couple soccer fields. A basketball court. A volleyball court. A dog park. A playground. A huge open grass area. A water play area (a bunch of sprinklers). And a library! Woohoo! FUN!

Anyway, when you're at the park with your kids...do you tend to keep to yourself? or do you find yourselves drawn to others?