Girls, Girls, Girls!

I love my new job as a stay-at-home mom, but I miss the camaraderie I enjoyed at my old one. Lucky for me, one of the perks of my new job is that I have the freedom to take extended lunch breaks when I want to - or rather, when my boss (Benjamin) allows me to.
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One of the interesting things about my old job is that I worked in a department that was almost entirely made up of women. Even more interesting is the fact that we all got along. Sure, we had our less-than-peachy moments, but for the most part, we were one big, happy sorority-- I mean, family. And even though I've flown the coop, I always feel welcome back to the nest. As a new mom whose parents live on the other side of the world (cue violins), it's a comforting thing to have this group of caring women in my life. I consider them to be my second family.

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One day last week, we stopped by the office for a visit. As luck would have it, there was a lunch meeting scheduled for that day, so not only did we get to see friends, but we got a meal to boot. Score! The only way the visit could have been improved is if cocktails were served, but alas, the company isn't quite that cool. Still, it was nice to be able to eat a meal in peace while my friends took turns playing with Benjamin. As I chowed down on chicken, salad, bread, blueberry pie, cherry pie, and yet more bread, I realized how lucky we were to know these fabulous ladies.

As we left, I started thinking about the other women who have become a part of Benjamin's life. There's Auntie Deb, AKA Auntie Poppins. If you live on the Westside and a glass in your cupboard suddenly cracks, it's probably because she just greeted Benjamin with one of her ear-piercing shrieks of delight.

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Auntie Yvonne has also been known to emit a similar Boo-induced squeal. She and Auntie Deb routinely fight over who gets to babysit Benjamin when Vince and I need a break, and they often end up babysitting together.

And lest you think that Benjamin hangs out with only older women, let's not forget about Lucy. Lucy's Benjamin's oldest friend. They met when he was just four weeks old.

There's Berry, who lives just around the corner from us. The other day, she and Boo reenacted that famous scene from Romeo and Juliet. I captured the moment on film, much to the chagrin of Berry's Dad Keith who had just gotten out of bed - and had the hair to prove it!

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Finally, there's Gemma, Benjamin's gal pal from our Friday class. Last week, Gemma surprised Benjamin with a flying tackle followed by a exuberant hug. Benjamin didn't know what to make of it, so he just lay there with a pained look on his face. Silly boy! One day he'll look back and realize how lucky he was!