Does your child climb onto kitchen counters? Climb up playground ladders meant for older children? Fearlessly jump off of, well, everything? Then your kid might be a Cheerios-in-the-nose kind of kid. I came up with this diagnosis when I heard two-year-old Munchkin sniffling at the table. Sniffle sniffle snort. Sniffle sniffle snort. I turned around to see what was going on and I realized she was sticking Cheerios in her nose and then--with mixed success--blowing them out. This, I thought, was something Monkey never did. 

Indeed, she does a lot of things four-year-old-Monkey never even considered. She spent months repeatedly climbing onto the dining table for the 10 seconds it took me to chase her off. She pulls the step-ladder into the kitchen to get goodies set onto the counter. (I rue the day we got rid of the kitchen gate!) In the living room, she stands on the TV stand to get the remote control and in my bedroom she pulls my jewelry box off the dresser to get to my necklaces. The way she tackles kids makes me think she'll be a professional wrestler. The frequency with which she writes on her stomach, back and nape of her neck makes me think she'll be a wrestler and a tattoo artist on the side. Every time I place something in a safe place, I walk into the room to find Munchkin waving it in her hand. 

The number of times she's made other parents at the playground gasp and say, "She's fearless!" with a mix of awe and horror are countless. When she falls down, I get funny looks from other parents as I watch from a distance instead of running to her. Most of the time she gets right back up and keeps going without shedding a tear. Sometimes I shake my head at her and other times I beam with pride. 

I try not to compare my kids, but I can say for certain that raising Munchkin is a different experience than raising Monkey. I always knew Monkey was very laid back and pretty easy kid. He is a little shy, likes to follow the rules most of the time and checks in with me before doing something he probably shouldn't. On the other hand, I constantly catch Munchkin doing things she should not be doing. Munchkin is also easy going, like her brother--when not climbing on shelves or onto tables--but more amenable to new people and situations. The upside of having a kid who puts food into her nose is that she'll also put almost any food in her mouth. She eats just about everything, especially if it doesn't belong to her. 

Munchkin has me double checking all my safety locks and has even compelled me to lock my refrigerator. She's pulled out cartons of eggs more times than I can count. Those child-safety caps on bottles? They were invented for kids like her and I'm grateful because I am running out of places to put things she shouldn't be touching. 

The good thing about Munchkin is that even though her fearlessness sometimes has me sprinting to the jungle gym, I know that it will serve her in the future. I can tell that she will try things that might make me hesitate. I can see that even though she needs my support she doesn't always need my approval and that's very powerful for girls today. I hope that the persistence Munchkin currently uses to hit me up for snacks will help her reach her goals even when others tell her it can't be done. 

Not only is Munchkin tenacious but she's strong. This was evidenced just yesterday when she strolled into the room carrying my 5lb weights, one in each hand. Her strength and stubbornness will create countless opportunities for her, from cheerios-taster to Cheerios' CEO

For now, I've resigned myself to teaching Munchkin there is a time and place for her to climb or eat, but there is never ever a time to put Cheerios up her nose. 

Last week a friend in my neighborhood sent a text to me and two of our friends. One lives in Oregon, one lives in New York but we all used to live within blocks of each other. Now, my friend announced, she too was moving out of town. My initial reaction was, "Nooooooooooo!" and, to be honest, three days later, I still feel the same. I'm excited for her family and happy she'll have a roomier new home, but not at the prospect of losing another good friend to the suburbs. Not only do I lose her company, her kindness and her sweet kids, but her departure means I'll have to make new mom friends and that is not an easy feat.

If, back in the day, you thought dating was difficult, finding a mom to spend time with sometimes feels impossible. Between juggling schedules, managing your kids, and surviving on little sleep, the last thing you need is a mom who judges your every parenting decision. However, the exhausting job of parenting is made less tedious by sharing a park bench (or a bar stool) with a mom who understands what it's like to call "taking a shower" an accomplishment. 

As a frequent runner and obstacle course tackler, I've conveniently listed the obstacles a parent has to get over, under or through in order to find a terrific mom friend.

The Parenting Style Hurdles: While dating only involves finding one person, when it comes to finding a mom buddy, their personality as well as their parenting style has to be either very in sync or very tolerant of yours. If you're into free range parenting and they're hovering like helicopters, a friendship is unlikely to bloom. If a potential buddy prefers attachment parenting but understands why you're, say, less attached, then there is hope.

The "Their Kids" Dash: One you've figured out you have similar parenting styles, you have to watch their kids in action. Are they too whiny? Too boring? Too bossy? Too physical? If, after accommodating for teething, a cold or just a bad day, your pals' kids are more annoying than the average snot-nosed-two-year-old, then you probably won't want to spend time with them and that mom won't survive the 50-yard dash.

The "Your Kids" Gladiator Battle:  Though unimportant the first year, eventually the kids have to get along. If the kids don't enjoy playing soccer together outdoors, can't seem to co-exist peacefully or even just chase each other gleefully around the room, you'll have to bonk the kids on the head, gladiator style, and send them on their way. 

The Discipline Hoops: Discipline, which is different from the aforementioned parenting style, is very important. All kids have days (or years) of not listening, hitting or claiming every single toy to emphatically be, "Mine!" What matters is how the parent reacts. Do they brush off the behavior? Do they acknowledge that your kid was hurt or saddened by their child? Even if the kid won't apologize for bad behavior, knowing that your child is always fairly treated leaves room for a slam-dunk friendship.

Geography & Schedules Dodgeball: Herein lies the final obstacle to finding a parenting buddy. I know a number of terrific moms who live too far from me to hang out with regularly. How far away? About two miles. Yet, with Munchkin's nap falling in the middle of the day and Monkey's school drop-offs & pick-ups, it's hard to find time for playdates without finding myself dodging puddles, strollers and red lights in a dash to pick up Monkey on time. Finding moms that frequent your favorite haunts makes finding a buddy much easier. 

If, by some miracle, you can find a mom who can surpass every obstacle, has your sense of humor and maybe even likes the same Friday evening cocktail, you've won the race and are on your way to a Whine & Wine happy hour. Some of my best memories are of evenings at home shared with my closest friends, our favorite beverage and our crazy kids.