Making new friends

When Brian David was first homeschooling (we began at age 8), we didn't know anyone.  We got involved, started our own group and made new friends.  At one point, our AAHE homeschool group had a core of about 8 or 9 boys, all his age, and they and their moms became a crucial part of our homeschooling adventure.  Over the years, some of the boys went back to public school and some moved away.  We lost touch and, in our last few years, had many acquaintances, but we lacked that tight knit feeling you get when you can expect the same friends again and again.  When Dakota was born I didn't know anyone with young children.  All my friends had older children and I felt out of place being an older mom in a sea of perky young moms lol.  Brian David went off to high school and Dakota and I joined a co-op and began our own homeschooling adventure.  Over the past two years we have made many friends and acquaintances, but still not that core group I was looking for...until now.  I am finding, over the last few months, that I am starting to see the same moms over and over at my events.  I look for them when I arrive and I am always pleased to see them.  It's a group of moms with kids Dakota's age.  Some of them have younger siblings and a few have a child a bit older, but for the most part we are focused on our 1st and 2nd graders.  Today we had an Easter egg hunt at Lake Waterford in Pasadena.  I had many new moms with toddlers that arrived, but they didn't really have much in common with me, mom to a "big kid".   I also had several of the moms that I consider to be in my new circle...ever widening as I meet more women and children who fit in our niche.  There was Lavender and Kelly, tried and true.  Mindie and Katie, wonderful women with wonderful children.  Erin and Debi, "old" friends, but valued nonetheless!  And I met another mom today that I am betting will fit right in...welcome Amanda!  Dakota was thrilled to have buddies he knew to run with.  It's nice to be able to say "you'll see Elijah and Nate and Megan and Ethan there".  So we begin again.  There are more that couldn't attend today, but that's what is so nice about the circle growing so large...the odds are good that at least some of our friends will be everywhere we go!
  Our homeschooling journey feels so old, but is really so new.  I hope that these new friends, with me as my son finishes kindergarten and begins first grade, will travel the ups and downs of parenthood and education with me.  I hope that we can laugh together and cry together.  Applaud our children as they grow.  Capture all of the little things that will mean so much somewhere down the road looking back.  Soo I'd like to say thank you to all of you who make my life so fulfilled.  You know who you are! And I am so grateful that you have joined my circle of friends.