Eleven years ago today was the opening ceremonies for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. I remember it well - the parade of athletes and the big build up to who would be lighting the Olympic torch that would signify the opening of the games.
Eleven years ago today, I was about to embark on two of the wildest, most satisfying journeys of my lifetime, too. Motherhood and self-made businesswoman.
Yep, eleven years ago today, during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, my first child was born.
On Friday, July 19 I remember being in the hospital and watching all the events in Atlanta - speculating with the doctors and nurses on who would light that torch. At 9:45 pm, the staff turned off the TV and all attention focused on the birth of my son. Healthy and beautiful, weighing in at 7 lbs. 9 oz., Mr. N came into this world, capturing the heart of his parents and all around him in the process.
It’s hard to believe that the tiny little guy we brought home from the hospital that week has grown quickly into a very smartyoung man who will be going off to middle school in a matter of weeks!
Happy Birthday Mr. N!Â
PS - Do you know who did light the big Olympic torch in 1996? Muhammed Ali. We turned the TV back on after the dust had settled, just in time to see the torch being lit.
Motherhood is one of the biggest accomplishments and biggest challenges of my life so far. Before I was a Mom, I did lots of things - I taught gymnastics full time, I traveled to far off places (often on my own) and I spent plenty of Sunday afternoons doing jigsaw puzzles. Then there were the social things like going out to lunch with friends, taking weekend getaways with my husband, and business functions. Who says that when you become a Mom, that all these things must stop? I don’t think they have to.
I have met too many Mommies who have given it all up for Motherhood. They lose their sense of self and their often their happiness.
Here are my top 3 reasons why Moms need a life, too!Â
3. Because coffee with your girlfriends is cheaper than therapy. Just having someone to vent with and share some giggles with can go a long way to happiness and maintaining your sense of self.
2. Because your kids should not be better dressed than you. By taking the time and effort to dress in something better than sweats and t’s each day, you teach your children (by example) that taking care of yourself is important.
1. Because one day, your kids will all be grown! What do you want to be when your kids grow up? Why wait that long? Start working and living those dreams and goals now. You and your family will be better for it!
Now, I am sure we can add to this list. Give me your reasons why Moms need a life, too.
What started off as a visit to the doctor’s for a possible UTI on Monday quickly escalated into a very scary night of high fevers, vomiting, and dehydration for my five year old daughter, Miss N. We returned to the doctor’s office on Tuesday morning and they sent us to the ER almost immediately. The infection had reached her kidneys and she needed to be put on an IV for antibiotics and fluids.
Miss N is absolutely terrified of needles and the fact that the ER doctors had to draw blood and then put in an IV pretty much sent her into a frenzy.
While waiting for the staff to get everything together for the blood draw, etc., a hospital volunteer arrived in our room with the most adorable pink and purple, handmade frog lovey (not quite a pillow, not quite a stuffed animal) for Miss N. Her eyes lit up and my filled with tears. It was exactly what she needed at that moment in time. Since she received her frog, it has been clutched by her side through poking, prodding, tests, and sleeping in a less than comfortable hospital bed.
Today she is feeling significantly better and if all goes as planned, we can go home tomorrow. As I type this, she is sitting up in her bed playing with the frog she got from the wonderful volunteers. The frog is providing more comfort and entertainment than the TV or crayons.
I have been most impressed by the wonderful treatment she has received from all the nurses and doctors, but the unexpected gift of a lovey, handmade by a volunteer has been the most touching event of the past few days.
Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers. Your kindness has made one little girl much more comfortable during her stay.
For those of us who work from home, so much of our focus is on the kids. We openly discuss working from home with kids and we share lots of strategies, tips and techniques for making it through summers and holidays. But, what about the balance of working from home and our marriages?
As a work at home Mom I have the flexibility to work around the schedules of my children’s activities, sleep schedules, and need for Mommy time. The result is that often I get up early and work before they get up, and I know that many of us work after the kids go to sleep at night.
It is this fragmented work pattern that can leave me in a catch-22 of sorts. A lot of days I am faced with a choice - one I don’t always like to make - spend my evening doing work to earn money or spend my evening hanging out with my spouse.
And what about times when your spouse has the day off or the week off? How do you manage expectations? I can’t afford to put my business on hold every time my husband takes the day off or the week off.
While I have found that communication and compromise go a long way, this is still an area I struggle with! Some of the ways I have found to help maintain the balance include:
Get a laptop and work while your spouse watches TV - at least you are in the same room and can have a conversation at the same time.
If I know my husband will be off for a day or two I try to schedule a block of time for a family activity or a lunch date.
Keep my husband informed of my successes and what I earn so that he can see the value of what I do.
Now, I’d like to get your input! What has worked for you and what has not?
After the events of this weekend, I am beginning to feel like I live in a zoo!
It all started Friday night when my daughter spotted a young raccoon hanging out by the birdfeeder. We watched it meander across the front yard looking half drunk. About half an hour later we noticed it was at the edge of the pond that is in the alcove outside my kitchen bay window. The raccoon very carefully balanced itself on a rock and leaned over to get a drink out of the pond, when suddenly, it fell right in the pond, head first.
Saturday morning, we noticed this same raccoon hanging out on the back steps. It was not one bit afraid of us as it let me get really close for a picture opportunity. My husband decided that it shouldn’t really be near the house and started to lure this raccoon out to the woods. Have you ever heard a raccoon? Oh my! They make the funniest little noise and my husband perfected it pretty quickly. Here was husband walking towards the woods calling the raccoon like a scene out of the Pied Piper or “Are You My Mother?”
The raccoon headed toward my flower bed and decided to get comfy. We have a spare rabbit hutch and the goal was to get “Stripes Jr.” into the hutch. We decided to lure it towards the hutch with a peanut butter sandwich. It’s too bad these animals really are dangerous, because it is so darn cute. Here is my first ever YouTube video of Stripes Jr. eating peanut butter (and if you listen closely, you’ll hear my voice at the end).
We did end up luring it to the hutch and my husband got it into the hutch. The little guy has been hanging out in there for the last day and we will most likely release it way off in the woods away from the house. The girls are concerned if we take it to Animal Control that it will be no longer.
Later in the day we went into Petsmart for rabbit food and spent at least an hour checking out the cats and dogs brought over by the local shelters. Somewhere along the way, while I was checking out the Chow, my husband fell in love with a black lab named Raven. Now, we already have a Rhodesian Ridgeback, 2 cats, a rabbit, and a raccoon in captivity - do we need another animal? NO! We walked out of the store with rabbit food, and no additional pets. I was in the clear. Or so I thought.
This morning my husband headed off to run a few errands and somehow managed to end up back at Petsmart. He even took Raven for a walk. Talk about a sucker! He called from the store and let me know how much he liked this dog and I stuck to my guns. The kids found out about the second visit to the dog and all four of them (hubby & 3 kiddos) have been begging me to change my mind all afternoon.
Somehow I just got completely over-ridden and they called back the organization that has Raven. It looks like we will have another new addition to the zoo tomorrow!
Eleven years ago today was the opening ceremonies for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. I remember it well - the parade of athletes and the big build up to who would be lighting the Olympic torch that would signify the opening of the games.
Saturday morning, we noticed this same raccoon hanging out on the back steps. It was not one bit afraid of us as it let me get really close for a picture opportunity. My husband decided that it shouldn’t really be near the house and started to lure this raccoon out to the woods. Have you ever heard a raccoon? Oh my! They make the funniest little noise and my husband perfected it pretty quickly. Here was husband walking towards the woods calling the raccoon like a scene out of the Pied Piper or “
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