A world where people are up early, out in the neighborhood, eating breakfast (not brunch because it's like 8am), hanging at the playground - with their kids.
It's not just early mornings that this club gathers together. It's early evenings, especially on Thursdays and Fridays and especially when the weather is warm. The parks are filled with kids on structures, picnic blankets strewn out on the grass, take out boxes from the local pizza, sandwich places or tupperwares full of grapes and berries with string cheese and salami.
We feel like we've entered this new realm. Like finally we have the password to a new club. And people have welcomed us in with open arms.
It's quite a fascinating experience to stroll through the park pushing the twins in our new BOB and getting looks like, "wow!" or "welcome to the neighborhood" or "she's got her hands full" or (my new favorite) "she looks way to good to have just had twins".
(I no longer advertise the "whole story", only if conversation persists. Usually I just let people believe that I bounced back. It is SO much fun! You should see their faces. But on the flipside, when I do tell them the "whole story", they are moved to tears and just so excited for us. It's a win-win.)
Jason and I never really noticed all these people before. We have our own group of friends that has recently tripled in size due to the births of babies, but they are our everyday. We never noticed this whole other world that exists early in the am and early in the evening.
One night as we struggled to get the twins to stay asleep (they want to keep moving), and eat our dinner, while entertaining Penny, one mom offered to push the kids around the park so we could sit and finish our meal. WOW! She's obviously has been in the trenches and gets it. It was a kind offer, but not necessary.
It's just such an interesting feeling.
To be in this place.
There is a part of me that still is grasping onto the old me. Our old life.
We even attempted our "old life" when we went out for our anniversary.
Nice dinner. Ice cream. The thought of a movie.
We had a great babysitter.
The kids were fine.
But after a couple of hours, we just wanted to go home.
We wanted to feed, snuggle and enjoy the babies.
We missed them.
We kept saying that we could've just taken them with us.
We could have. But it was good that we didn't.
It's good to still hold on to who we used to be.
It's good to step into these new roles, new community and new way of doing "date night".
So we are going to embrace this new social group. Early mornings brunches. Picnics at the park. Strolls in the BOB. More time with old friends, new friends and people in the neighborhood.
Summer is coming.
I can't wait.
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