Friday, December 09, 2011

How to make friends

We have neighbors who have a daughter just a bit younger than Jordan.

She and J go to the same day care, and we've just started getting to know the parents. We keep making neighborhood friends with kids J's age...and then they move away. These people said they're here to stay. So I'm trying to cultivate them as friends.

So I ran into the husband on the street last night. Apparently his wife had told him I'm pregnant, as he said, "I heard congratulations are in order!"

I thanked him, and then he leaned in and said, "How did you make the decision to have another one?"

I was a little surprised - it's the first time I've been asked that - but he went on to explain that they'd originally thought they'd have two, but then they had their daughter, and it's so much work...and the thought of having a second is so daunting.

Which is true. I admitted that even though Nick and I had set out thinking we'd have two, for much of the first year after Jordan was born, I was adamantly opposed to having another child. No way in hell.

"But you know," I said, "Nick is 43 and I'm 42. ."

"We're in a similar situation."

"So we figured it's kind of now or never. So, we just went, 'All right! Fuck!'"

And then I realized how that might sound. So I added, "I don't mean...That's not what...ha ha ha!"

"Oh, yes. Ha ha ha!"

We both laughed awkwardly, all, "OK, then! See you later!"

6 comments:

  1. Hahaaaa! We haven't had too much luck making new parent friends. People in general are flaky it seems. And then one neighbor invited me over for a playdate at 9:30 a.m. on a Sat. HAHAAAAA now that is funny. (And scary).

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  2. It is hard! People work, and have busy lives, and weekends are always so full. If you're lucky you meet people you like who have a kid the same age who live very close to you. Otherwise scheduling gets in the way. We almost never see anyone who doesn't live right in our neighborhood.

    And I hate to say it, but at this point in life that seems like a totally reasonable time to me. When J was younger I'd sometimes meet friends at a coffee shop at 6:30 or 7 am. Which now sounds brutal.

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  3. you should move to (undisclosed south jersey/ eleven minutes from philly location)! do it! screw the elevator install! it's a total selling point...to somebody!

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  4. I wish we were neighbors. You guys are funny!

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  5. I wish you were my neighbor too. :)

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  6. There's a little boy down the street from us who I think is about the same age as kidlet, AND they have a dog that looks like ours and has the same name. And I always think, the next time we see them we should introduce ourselves! But I never see them, or if I do I think, What kind of weirdo chases down their neighbor to say Hey! Let's be friends!

    I'd hang out with you.

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