MOPS Monday

I LOVE M(others)O(f)P(re-schooler)S Mondays. It's a time for mothers of kids aged pre-K and younger to get together and have some adult interaction, food, and time with God! My week always seems to start off better when I start it with MOPS.

First off, I get a nice hot breakfast. Seriously there is TONS of food. It's always nice to get the chance to eat a meal uninterrupted and without a little person begging for bites off of my plate. I can eat all the food on my plate without feeling guilty or having to cut everything into teeny tiny bites.

Of course the two hours of time I get away from Sarah is a nice break. (Not that my girl isn't the light of my life, but sometimes she's a handful.) She loves being in the church nursery and her teachers think she is such a doll. I think it's kind of nice for her to get the chance to interact with other kids her age too. I mean if I crave time with my peers why wouldn't she? The best part is that she usually keeps herself so busy playing that she doesn't sleep which means I have a tired baby on my hands on the way home. She passes out in the car and I can almost always count on a two hour nap once we get home.

I also love the time I get to spend with other moms. It's nice hearing what other moms are struggling with and knowing that I am not the only one who has a baby that's teething or refusing to sleep. Of course the encouragement and the prayers I get are some of the best things from this group, not to mention the lessons. Each week someone gives a talk on something that is pertinent to a MOPS mother. Today it was about friendship and how to handle the competition that sometimes occurs with moms.

This is something I currently struggle with. I'm the first in my core group of friends to have a baby (let alone a second) so I feel lonely a lot of  the time. I do have some close girlfriends, but they don't have kids and while they can empathize with me, it's not the same as having mommy friends. That isn't to say that I don't know anyone else with kids or have friends with kids, but they are scattered all across the state and I rarely get to see them. So the lesson today prompted me to be more outgoing and just say hi to other moms. I used to be so much more outgoing than I am now. I honestly think this was a good wake up call for me. God really got my attention and I will be looking for opportunities to say hi and possibly make new friends. I am so grateful I got the chance to be a part of this amazing group of women!