I have a necklace that someone handmade that’s called a “Growing Tree”. Basically it is a full circle, to indicate the unity and completeness of my family with four silver pegs. The tallest peg has my husband’s birthstone on it and obviously recognizes him as the father and head of our home. The next tallest has my birthstone and then my first born son’s stub with his birthstone and my youngest son’s stub with his birthstone.

The pendant looks like this one (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7504586@N05/470501915/), only she made ours special with our birthstones per my request. I take my family seriously and with that, I take my friends just that seriously.

However, my two closest friends since I was 14, you can read that too, here(http://www.momecentric.com/all-things-2008/2008-family/2008-jar/anatomy-of-a-friendship) and here (http://www.momecentric.com/2009/jar/just-like-clock-work). But both live quite a distance from me. And, I’ve never really taken the time to get to know many others. Owning the daycare allowed me to hone my socializing skills again but since selling it, I’ve remained a one-woman show most days.

However, when I made the decision this year before my son started school that instead of focusing on complaints about what was going on at school, I would focus on helping and being more productive, I have met so many wonderful women.

One woman is about my age and has been a PTO worker for 16 years. She has children in college and one in 3rd grade along with one in high school. So, really, she has her hands full, PTO withstanding! And a single mother with all those children and young adults? She is awesome.

And, to add to that, last year when I suggested that the PTO get involved in a campaign to eliminate all the paper that the teachers use to send home notes to parents by using email addresses, I was met with stern opposition. People just do not like change. However, this year, this “new found friend of mine” was around when I made the suggestion and she almost leaped over a table to get to me. I’m not sure where she was last year when I spoke to the administrators and PTO officers about it but either way, she didn’t know.

Now, a month and a week or so later, the two of us are having the time of our life and everything we do is for our kids. We are busily preparing tons of school functions and helping teachers get supplies. And, we have a lot in common otherwise too. I am a night owl and very rarely are my friends or acquaintances online at midnight or later. But, my new friend, Super R, that’ll be my new nickname for her (her name starts with an R) are often online after midnight.

We’ve discussed everything from losing parents, to children, to having children, to being teenagers and growing up in this area and how we want that to be different for our own kids and ultimately, we have launched this massive “save paper” attack at my son’s school.

And, so what does one do with all this? Well, I have a sponsor who is offering me a “Girls Get-a-Way” for a night, complete with some extra special pampering. And, guess what? Me and Super R will be there!

I’ll be back when I can tell you more about our little getaway…that hopefully has no talk of school or PTO or email addresses or saving tree’s in it…but I wouldn’t count on it!

Thanks for sharing that. I loved reading it! A girlfriend getaway is too cool.