International Moms Club-Founder's Day

I moved to Southern California during the summer of 2008. I was transitioning both from working at the office full-time to being an at-home mom and from East Coast to West Coast. I've mentioned the moms club a few times before as being the lifeline that got me through the transition, but it's definitely worth mentioning again for the new readers of my blog. If you a full-time or part-time at-home mom, you and your kids would probably love being a part of the International MOMS Club. It's a support group and play group for at-home moms. My city's local chapter is very active and boasts 90+ moms of every color and walk of life. We meet for playdates with our kids and for our much needed monthly Moms' Night Out. We share about our lives through our message board; swapping doctor notes and tips on great deals on all the kid-related products and programs in our community. There is also an annual meeting called Founder's Day for all the MOMS Clubs in Southern California.

Last year Founder's Day was a very welcome break--it was the first time I spent more than a couple hours away from my younger son. I sat in a hotel banquet hall and ate a meal in its entirety without being interrupted or someone grabbing something from my plate. I listened to Dr. Laura Schlessinger give an inspiring and heart-felt speech on why being an at-home mother was such a valuable contribution to society. It was just the affirmation I needed at that time in my life. I returned home recharged and refreshed, ready to tackle the challenges of being a mom. This year's Founder's Day took a different, but no less special, turn. 700 moms met on the field of battle one Saturday last month in Irvine. Each local branch of the MOMS Club put up their own village to represent the unique aspects of their club. Moms formed teams to go through a fun scavenger hunt, even making up cheers and going on camera to celebrate how excited we were to be a part of the event. Moms also had an opportunity to bid on raffle baskets put together by each local MOMS Club. My club's basket was supported generously by many local and not-so-local sponsors. I was so excited because Lanie-The American Girl of the Year 2010 was donated generously by American Girl as one of the prizes in our raffle basket. I've always wanted an American Girl for myself, but sadly I didn't win. A very lucky mom from one of the Irvine MOMS Clubs was the winner. Next year I'll have to buy more raffle tickets!

My team--the Mai Tai Mamas--was one of the winners of the scavenger hunt and we received a very cool MOMS Club lunch tote as our prize. We returned home tired but the spirit of camaraderie that had been generated by all the time spent together and activities accomplished was well worth the trip. Thank you MOMS Club for being such a rich part of my life!