Birthday Bash

So you may notice something different about my blog if you don't use googlereader. I've got a new permanent photo on the top of my blog, courtesy of  Courtenay Bickler, who was gracious enough to take some amazing shots of me and my fellow TMers at the Birthday Bash. And I felt this particular photo captured what I blog about and you read about so well... I had to give it due credit.

Tonight I am just way too tried to really blog much in regards to writing, but I did want to share some great photos from Trianglemommies Birthday Bash yesterday. I've mentioned before I am part of a Moms group, but thats really simplifying it. Trianglemommies is a local chapter of a national group, The Mommies Network, with over 100 chapters nationwide. Trianglemommies has over 2000 members of local moms all around the Raleigh Durham area. It's a free site, with support forums 24/7, play dates scheduled all the time, Moms Night Outs, big family events like yesterdays Birthday bash and more. Members keep their ears and eyes out for members in need, and together, we work to offer support, encouragement, and a shoulder to lean on. TM has created some really cool committees, like the Secret Fairy group, which will find out if a member has had a bad day, week, month, and will find a way to leave a little bag of goodies with a note letting them know they have a bunch of Moms who took notice and care, all done anonymously. They have the Stork committee, which pairs up a woman about to have a baby, or adopt, with another member who will bring them a hot meal for the entire family, taking away one more thing to worry about. We do a lot of stuff for local charities, walks, food drives, clothing drives. It's just... awesome.

I joined TM shortly before I moved down here, hoping to network, find potential friends as I was leaving everyone I knew behind, as well as information on the area with schools, pediatricians, good parks, bad parks, etc. What I found was an amazing group of women I never would have met otherwise, who took me as I am, piercings, tattoos, red stripe, and sarcastic attitude, and loved me for who I am. I found friends I now need when my sanity is about to snap, and I am there for them when they have their snapping moments too. I rely on these fine femmes so much, when I need to bitch and moan, or something awful has happened and Im hurting, or something AWESOME and I want to shout it out to the world! They are always there for me when I need them, however I need them, and I love being there for them too. Its not perfect. I mean hell, you get 2000 women together in one room and there are bound to be claws unsheathed once in awhile. But considering what it could be, it's really well geared to respecting each others differences and opinions while offering support to one another. The hardest thing to balance is talking on the internet with a bunch of people when you know there is a damn good possibility you will run into them out and about, be it at a TM event, shopping, getting your car washed. And really... do you want to purposefully piss off a woman who may see you in all of your PJ bedhead, morning breath glory as you rush to the grocery store because you ran out of baby wipes and your infant just had a massive explosion? Oh hell no. But it's done as best as it can be with a great group of volunteers who help watch over the board and keep things both running smoothly and try to help femmes re-sheath their claws when they do come out.

So yesterday we celebrated the site and communities 5th year birthday. It was so much fun. And I wanted to share some of my favorite photos.

This is Tammy and I. Tammy is TMs Events Co-Manager. She kicks ass and takes names. I luv her =) We're working the greeting table here. Really, I swear we worked. There was no goofing off whatsoever going on at the Greeters Table. Srsly. Never you mind those fingers crossed behind my back. Shoo, go on, go look at the next photo. Damn nosey folks....

I'd post my favorite photo of Suzanne and I, but she's really picky about photos and I really don't want her coming after me if I did without her permission. She's already warned me she'd kick my ass if I publicized photos of her sans her permission. I really don't want to tick her off. She might see me in a grocery store one day =)

Here's my fellow greeters! As Promotions Manager of TM, I took lots of photos of these fine ladies, on the premise that I needed pictures to promote TM. In reality I just used it as an excuse to not work.

I kid I kid!!!!

I so rarely get photos taken OF me with the kids, so I get giddy when I have them on hand. I'm always the one behind the camera. So while I was working at the greeting table, Xavier came up to me to ask if we could go home. We'd only been there for 30 minutes. I asked him why and he said because of the wind. (It was windy that day). Instead I grabbed him and made him do a photo op with me, as I threw my camera to one of the femmes. My goal was to both take his mind off the wind and have fun, while also getting a good snapshot of us both. I accomplished both goals. Xavier did fine for the rest of the afternoon, as long as he stayed close to me or J.

This is Courtenay, and she is the one responsible for the amazing photo now permamarked on my blog, as well as two more amazing photos (which I'll get to in a bit). She was gracious enough to take complimentary photos for us TMers for the party. She rocked!

Look at all the kick ass raffle prizes! Jenni (on the right) is TMs fundraising co- Manager. They got a ton of kick ass prizes for this year. And I, I totally spaced out and forgot to buy a raffle ticket too. Damn it!

And whats a Birthday Bash without cake? These two cakes were made by fellow TMers. There was enough cake in these two to feed over 330 people!

Courtaneys first photo of Soren and I. 

and of course, my favorite...

If ever there was a photo to really capture who I am as a person, and who we are as a family, this is it. The only one missing is J, who was sitting off at a picnic table while I grabbed the boys and herded them towards Courtenay. He was tired from the move and was just enjoying being still for a bit, which I totally understood and respected.  But anyways, this is us. 

I love it.

Happy Birthday TM. Thanks for everything you've given me.