Meg Cline: Winos + Wino Littles

This weekend, all the winos (and a wino little) came to Winston-Salem with the very best reason for a get together: we just missed each other and wanted to see each other. I’m so thankful for the effort that my college girlfriends have made to continue to see each other in the 8 years (!!) since we’ve graduated – especially as travel grows more complicated as families get bigger and jobs get busier. This was our 3rd trip to see each other this year, which I think is just perfect. (Actually, I think it’s not enough but considering we’re spread out among 3 different states, are coordinating 6 different work/life schedules and have 3 kids among us… I think once a quarter is pretty impressive!)

We pretty much did what we always do when we get together: talked a lot. Laughed a lot. Hugged each other’s babies. Hugged each other. Drank wine. Talked a lot.

Shelby arrived with John (11.5 months) on Thursday night, and we spent Friday catching up with over a long walk with the boys and getting things ready for a surprise baby sprinkle for Emily for baby #2. The rest of the girls arrived Friday early afternoon and we spent the afternoon catching up and showering Em with baby boy gifts. I’m so excited for Bo to have another little friend in just 3 months!

Matt was kind enough to man the baby monitors for us to have a night out with each other, and we had an amazing dinner at Mozelle’s Bistro. I talk that place up so much and I was a little nervous that I had set the bar too high… especially since returning to Winston usually means visiting many of our college staples and this was something new. But of course, Mozelle’s did not disappoint.

We kicked off Saturday morning with breakfast at Camino’s… another new-to-them place I had talked up (and fortunately, met expectations as well!) It was super crowded but we managed to find a corner to spread out and let the babies climb (John) or wiggle (Bo) and continue our never-ending chit chat. (Drink and chat, drink and chat… that’s pretty much what we do.) After breakfast, we headed over to campus for the requisite visit and trip to the bookstores. (There’s nothing that makes you feel quite so old and out of touch as walking around your college campus with a baby.) Shelby and I took the boys home for naps while the other girls visited Rose’s for lunch (a must-do every time they return to W-S) and then the rest of the day unwinded at my house, with wine and snacks and dinner and more chatter. Eventually, it was time to conclude the evening as Emily headed back home to Raleigh to her little one, the other girls headed back to their downtown hotel for early morning flights and Shelby and I yawned our way to bed, knowing little babies don’t care how much wine their momma drank the night before.