Tuesday, November 17, 2009

The FOG

So Stacey and I have been attending the "Newcomers" class at this new church we've been attending for the last month or so, which basically introduces us to the many, many opportunities they have for involvement (small groups, sunday schools, community outreach, volunteering, etc etc).  This week we all split up into areas of potential Sunday Morning (sunday schoolish) involvement based loosely on life-stage.  Of course, in keeping with typical church programming everything is creatively named...and by people much more sensitively natured than myself.  For instance, what I might call "The Overthehillers" they call "King's Pilgrim's"...and so on.  As we are the proud expectant parents of an aspiring "Infant to Toddler", we fall into the group called, "Families on the Grow".  Representatives from the class were there to tell us what the group is like, what they cover, what they do outside of church...blah blah blah (no really, it was really fascinating... really it was... truly fascinating)  where was I...oh! 
BLAMMO. 
It hit me:  Families on the Grow.  F.O.G.  Well, FOtG really, but that's not quite as epiphanizing and brain shattering.  Seriously?  FOG?  Do they all know something we don't know?  I know, all of you parents previously initiated into the fraternity of parenthood are shaking your head at me and thinking, "oh you just wait!"  We have stories (from most of you).  We have books (apparently from ALL of you...we have the entire Baby isle from Barnes & Noble littered throughout our house).  I'm learning none of this really and truly prepares you for the sobering reality of new-parenthood.  Much like someone who has heard descriptions from friends and read the manuals and books on driving stick...and then shoving them into a tiny 4-speed Yugo and turning them loose in a rural North-Florida town with his older and much more experienced brother who learned like two whole years before.  ...what could go wrong?!  ...not that I know what that's like...but you know what I mean. 

In 30-ish long weeks we will experience the FOG of parenthood as most of you have...whether we're ready or not.  So thank you all for the books, the maternity clothes, the stories, etc.  ...but thank you mostly for the bushwacked paths you've all blazed for us to follow, and for the battlescars you've revealed.  I'd say we couldn't do it without you but that's not true...we could do it, we just might kill each other first.

Here's to finding 1st gear on that hill.

1 comment:

  1. Oh Yay! StackeyLee have a blog! Now what are we gonna call you when baby comes? StackeyLeeBean. That sounds nice.

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