The Mommy Mafia

The Mommy Mafia - I know it is a funny name. Brian, Karina's husband came up with it a few years back. This is the name of my amazing play group! We have been getting together every Thursday since September 2005. There have only been a few weeks in those years that we have not been together. It all started one warm September day. Leslie's parents were out of town and she invited myself, Karina, Gioia, Michelle, and Jessica. The babies were just that babies (Lilly was 2 months old) and Gioia was still pregnant. We sat around and chatted - the big kids aka Big Jack and Big Lily played. It was just so nice to be with other people who were mom's - I was new to this mom thing. We decided that this would be a great weekly gathering. I was going back to work pt and Thursdays seamed to work for everyone and the rest is history. Over the next few months the group grew. I invited Christine who's husband was working with John at the time. Leslie invited Rhonda, the wife of her childhood friend. Jess invited Paulette, who's husband works with Joseph. All of the kids were born between January 2005 and October 2005 - except the "big kids" Big Jack and Big Lily - both born December 2003. So the original group was - Leslie, Zoe, Jessica, Karina, Gioia, Michelle, Rhonda, Paulette, and Christine - Amy and Liz joined later. We have been through so much - the birth of babies (there are now 20 and 2 more on the way), surgeries, breast cancer, miscarriages, loss of parents, and all of the joys and struggles that go with being a mom. We support each other and rally together. We are friends because of our kids, but we are friends without them as well. We all cherish our Mom's Night Outs and our annual Mom's Night Away. So often I think about how lucky and blessed we are to have each other and that our kids are equally as lucky and blessed to have each other (Lilly loves "her friends"). We do not judge each other - there is nothing but love in this group. They have all made me a better mother and a better person.