07.01.06
Oh, you’re a parent too? So what?
I’m trying to get everything ready for the big departure to France on Wednesday. This includes wrapping up a couple of work projects so I’m a bit stressed. I’m mostly worried about how well and how quickly Evelyne will get over the jet lag. Of course, to top it off, Evelyne caught the cold that I’d gotten from Dylan last week. So now I have a tired runny-nose little girl, but given the circumstances she’s doing admirably well.
I havent’ written here for a while. Evelyne is growing and it’s amazing how it’s happening right in front of us. I sometimes look at her in Dylan’s arms or in Bronya’s arms, and I wonder “who is this baby?”, ” when did she get to become this tall? When did she learn to do this, or have this expression?”. TOmorrow we are going to the a birthday party for Eva, Krista’s daughter. It’s the first birthday party Evelyne is invited to :). And I realize that if Eva is one year old, then Evelyne is going to be one in 3 to 4 months. Wow. Where did the time go?
I haven’t talked here yet about my other mom friends and the great network that you fall into once you become a parent. It’s common knowledge that to get new friends, the best thing to do is to either get a dog or get a child. After Evie’s birth, I signed up for a number of parents lists and have found most of them somewhat useful. It’s funny however how I’ve had little intersest or motivation in meeting the people from these lists in real life with a couple of exceptions. In retrospective, it makes sense. It’s not because we have children the same age that suddenly I am going to like every parent out there. There are so many Mothers groups and people make it sound like it’s such a great thing. At first I almost felt guilty for not wanting to meet other new moms. Now I’m more comfortable with it and I realize it’s not just me (and also it’s just not me). Somehow, I feel like it’s a very American thing too. I don’t know why, and I haven’t really thought of it much, but this need to always have “peers”, or to have a group that constantly justifies your own decisions…Maybe it’s not so much a American vs. French cultural thing, but more something due to the nature of San Francisco, where so many here are without family ties and support. I don’t know.
Anyway. I was almost feeling guilty I think because it felt like I was depriving Evelyne of somthing, but really I’m not. What does she care about going to playgroups with a bunch of other 6 months old? So I’ve stuck with the few other moms I know here (Shira, and now Ruth). THis being said there are always exceptions, and in my case, there are two of them:
- I met a few people through the French mothers group. That’s how I met Krista, who I really get along with. Her daugther Eva will most likely end up going to school with Evelyne and I love that they arleady know each other!
- I met some of the Burning Moms a few weeks ago at a picnic. That was fun. And I have a lot to say about that but it will have to come in another post because Evie’s fussy…