New Girl

Friday was Alyssa's Halloween party at school. At the beginning of the year, I volunteered for every party they're having. I know, probably overkill, but I had vacation days to burn and figured it would help A with her adjustment if she knew I'd be there as often as I could.

The party went well. I made WAY too many treat bags. In my defense, I though we were combining the two second grade classes. Since we didn't, each kid in A's class got two (and some got four) treat bags. They certainly weren't complaining.

I'd never met either of the other moms who organized the party. But we're all adults, it worked out.

Today, we attended a party thrown by a classmate and her parents.

It was nice. The step-mom was a lovely woman and as the party wound down, she took me aside and told me that my daughter is delightful and she hoped we could get our two girls together again soon. She pointed out that Alyssa is more mature than some of the other kids in the class and she'd like to see her step-daughter spend more time with Alyssa.

It occurred to me as Alyssa and I drove away that A isn't the only new girl in town.

I'm new too.

I'm the new mom. The new volunteer. The new play-date parent.

And...

As I've gotten older, I don't seem to make friends as easily as I did when I was seven.

But I'm trying.

I've made a couple of friends at the girls' gymnastics class. Those other moms who wait at least an hour once or twice a week for their kids to finish class, the ones who watch out of the corners of their eyes for their child to wave at them so they can wave back. They're great. And I'm glad to have met them.

The moms at the school party and the mom at the home party on Saturday were nice too. Sure...they have history and I'm having to start from scratch.

But hey, a couple of months ago, I threw Alyssa into a new situation, one where she was meeting kids who had history with each other and I expected her to start from scratch too, to make new friends and build relationships.

If I can expect her do to that then I can to it too. Because like Alyssa, it won't be long before I'm no longer the new girl.