Making Friends

My friend Kacey is pregnant. I have known Kacey since high school, but just recently (last year) reconnected with her because I work with her husband.  This is their first child and they are both very excited. Kacey and I have had some fun discussion about pregnancy and parenting. One of the questions she asked me a few weeks ago was about friendships. Specifically, how do you find and make friends with people who have kids the same age as your own? Heck if I know!!  I have wondered the same thing myself many times!!  It seems to me that the stars have to be aligned just perfectly for you to find a family that has kids the same ages as yours and that you can also stand to be around on a regular basis. 
My friend Stacey has a son who is five weeks older than Frances. That puts him a grade ahead of her in school. Plus, he's a boy. Her girls are almost 7, and they get along great with Frances though. My friend Julie has a 3 year old girl and a 1 year old boy. Henry loves playing with Laura at church, but again, the genders are mixed up. Dominic is still a bit young for his own friends, but we hope that someday he and Benjamin will be good buddies. Henry had a good friend from pre-school that went to our church (and they were quite the team in Sunday school classes!!) but then Max and his family moved to Minnesota.
Kacey's husband Andrew sent us a facebook invitation to a picnic at the park on Friday. It was a "bring your own picnic" event. It was also a "show up whenever you want and leave whenever you want" event. It could not have been more laid back and I am so glad we went! Frances made friends with a little girl in second grade, Henry made friends with her younger sister. Benjamin and I played catch (or in my case "dodge the balls being thrown at my head") with a little three and a half year old boy.  I have fun talking with the parents of these kids and they kids got along really well with each other. No one wanted to leave!!

We eventually decided to pack it up and head home. I actually pulled up in front of the house and then decided to go and take some pictures of the Blue Moon.  I had some ideas in my head that didn't quite turn out the way I wanted, but I think they are cute anyway!

Frances "caught" the moon.

Henry tried to catch the moon.

Benjamin just wanted to do what his siblings were doing.