Odd-woman out

I have never been able to find my niche with fellow moms. I think it has a lot to do with my area. I'm not a Tea-Bagger, I mean Tea Party follower, I'm not Christian, and my kids are definitely picking up on differences between their home and their friends' homes. When Sofia was learning the letter T in Kindergarten, they went around the room asking all the little ones to think of words that start like "t." They gave answers like turtle, tummy, table, etc. Then Sofia says, "Tattoo." I was so proud.

Well, today I was asked by the school's PFA to help out with the snowcone sale. I have no problem helping. I'm a room mom for two of my children's classes, so this wasn't a big deal. But it was hard to spend 3 hours with 5 other moms who only talked about their latest trip to Disney, ear infections, and renovations in their house. It's not that I'm opposed to those things...I like Disney, my kids get ear infections, we're in the middle of a tile DIY project. But for three hours it was too much. I would join conversations, but it was just hard for me. (Which is equally my own fault because I feel shy around new people)

So, as I am dumping ice into the "ice hopper" to be chopped up and made into snow cones, the mom working next to me starts telling me all about her son's birthday party. It was for him and his best friend, who apparently have birthdays close to one another. It was a camp/boy scout theme, and 30 little boys slept over her house. The thought of 30 children in my house overnight - running, screaming, jumping, arguing - because we all know there is no "sleep" at a sleepover, makes me ill. So I made the comment that "I just don't love my children enough to do that for them." Now, it was sarcastic. I even laughed when I said it. And it was funny, I think. (And true in the sense that there is no possible way I would ever host 30 kids for a sleepover. ever. ever. ever). But these five women stopped in their tracks, twisted their necks around and stared.

Come on people. It's sarcasm.

I would love to find a group on moms around here that I feel comfortable with. Moms who don't necessarily obsess over their children, who don't flutter their eyes in disbelief when I say we're not believers, who can hold conversations about books and possibly "The Real Housewives." I prefer "Bad Girls Club" to "Dancing with the Stars." I prefer Austen to Twilight series.

Wanted: BFF. Democratic, non religious zealot. Must love dogs, Etsy, World Market, Farmer's Market. Willing to spend countless hours in the library or bookstore. Prefers sarcasm to slap-stick.