Here I Am vs. I'm Here

Last week, I read an e-mail from the Stroller Strides National Fitness Director. In the letter, Farel wrote a very simple phrase that has stuck with me all week. "Here I Am vs. I'm Here"

I had a really good friend in college who wore his watch backwards EVERYDAY! It drove me crazy! Finally, I asked him why and he told me that he wore his watch backwards because it reminded him that his goal in life was to put other's first. Great theory in life, but how did the watch fit in? He simply said, If someone needed to know what time it was he would never have to strain his neck to see. To this day, I still don't get the watch point (why couldn't he just tell them what time it was?), but I commend his selfless actions.

I'd like to think that I'm a "I'm here" person, one that tries to put other's first and listens well. A person that remembers the little things about a person's life, some one who will gladly give you an extra cracker for your child or diaper if you were out. When ever I try to be this person, I always think of Lauren B. from our Stroller Stride's class. She truly is a I'm Here person.

More often than not, I fear that I fall into the trap of a "Here I am" person. It may be inadvertent, but this person always seems to feel that they are the most important thing going on at any given time. This person may have nothing but the best intentions, but almost always serves their needs first. When I think of this person I always envision Eloise from the children's story books. "I am Eloise. I am six." This is not how I want to live me life.

So, are you a Here I Am or a I'm Here kinda girl ?

Too Much?

So, last night my family and I went to see my nephew, Matthew, play his 2nd to last all-star game. He is on the 9 and 10 year old team for San Carlos and they will be playing for the championship tonight.

I was amazed at the excitement in the air. The fans were yelling, the moms and grandmas had on their "team shirts" and photo buttons, heck the game was even being streamed live over the Internet for the "out-of-town friends and family". It was a major deal!

As we drove home, I couldn't help but ask, why? They are 9 and 10 year olds. Is it really that big of a deal? Are we making too much out of it?

It was then that my voice of reason (Andy) snapped me back into reality (aka Motherhood). "Look at this the way their moms would, their kids are doing something really cool and are doing it well."

He was right, it wasn't too much if you were their mom, dad, grandma, etc. After all, I've been known to announce to the whole fire station that Sam was using the "big girl potty" and take her on a mani/pedi day for it. Or march Lanie around the house on my hip for her failed attempts at walking. (yes, in our house, even a failure is an reason to cheer)

I don't think celebrating you or your kid's achievements (however big or small in life) can ever be too much.

Now, if I could only figure out how to make those photo buttons...

If you're happy and you know it...

You’re probably living in Denmark. That’s right, a new survey came out this week that said the happiest nation in the world is Denmark of all places. Ironically, the United States came in at #16. With everything that we have as a nation how did we only rank 16th? Don’t we have more than enough things to make us happy?

This got me thinking, there must be A LOT of people in the US unhappy.

So, here it is, my top 10 reasons that I AM HAPPY (and I know it).

#1) I have a great family. Sam turned 2 last week and is as crazy as ever and Lanie is turning 1 this Saturday. They are great friends and are just beginning to have a good time with each other

#2) I have an amazing Husband that I love to the moon and back. I know, I know, I don’t want to brag, but he really is kinda great. Andy is loving, kind, great with the girls and most importantly, really understanding of me and my crazy life. Not to mention that he’s not too hard on the eyes.

#3) I have a super cool job that I love to do. Stroller Strides is the best job I’ve ever had (don’t tell anyone, but it’s the kind of job that I’d do for free of I had to, that’s how much I love it).

#4) My family is healthy and happy.

#5) There’s always food on our table. In these crazy economic times, you can’t imagine the comfort in that.

#6) My girls are free to grow up and be whatever they want to be in life. I have to give credit where credit is due on this one. This has very little to do with me and Andy’s influence but rather the amazing Americans who came before us. Because of the men and women who have served our country in times of war and peace, Sam and Lanie can grow up to be anything in life, from a President to a stay at home mom.

#7) We have a roof over our heads and a soft bed to sleep in.

#8) The new season of Project Runway is starting. I know that this is shallow, but I really do love this show.

#9) The Lazy days of summer are in full swing at my house. It’s lighter later and that means playing in the yard till my kids fall over with exhaustion. (No more fighting over movies at bed time).

And Last, but not least…

#10) I don’t live in Denmark! I’m sure it’s a great country, but I get to live right here in San Diego where my family is and the weather’s great.

What are you wearing?

I have that child. You know, the one who wears rain boots in the middle of summer and a Princess dress at every chance. Andy and I use to try to change her into "appropriate clothing" but have lost that battle.

Sam wears shoes that are too small simply because they sparkle. She would wear her sun glasses 24 hours a day if I'd let her. She's been known to wear her fairy wings to Sunday morning mass as well as one of her many Princess dresses to Stroller Strides class.

And just last week, she insisted on wearing her Terra, glasses, pink purse and beads to Andy's graduation.

Like I said, Andy and I use to try to curb this behavior. But now it's almost fun. I never now what my daughter will emerge from her bed room wearing.

It's Hot!

This morning I turned on the news just in time to see that it's hot!

What does that have to do with Stroller Strides? Well, a lot. When the mercury jumps up like this there are a few things that we all need to remember...

1) Hydrate! I know that it seems like common sense, but we all have to be reminded to refuel. Just remember the 8 is great motto from school. 8 8oz glasses in 8 hours!

2) EAT! Ever heard the expression "it takes a lot of money to look that cheap"? Well, it takes a lot of energy to stay cool. If you skimp on your food intake, your body wont have any resources to cool you down.

3) Let those babies breathe! And no, I don't mean your personals (although that might feel good as well, but that's a whole other post.). I mean you KIDS! Could you imagine sitting in a canvas box in the sun (think camping, but worse). Now, imagine sitting in a stroller in the sun! As much as we all LOVE our strollers, there like little heat dens. Here are some tips to turning your stroller into a cooler place.

1. Why not allow your kids to try a "big boy cup" at the beginning of class? It's great practice and they'll probably be dry by the time you get into the car.


2. Follow Drea's lead and let your little one bring a squirt gun to class full of water. I know my girls would love to shoot mama, and I'd love to get wet.


3. Place a wash cloth in a zip lock bag full of ice on top of your stroller. By the time class is over, your kids have a ice cold treat.

4) Sunscreen and a hat! Need I say more?

Those are just a few of my ideas to stay cool in this heat. What are your?

Who's your Daddy?

I have been blessed with many great "Dad's" in my life.

My father, "Papa Taco" as he's now called, has been there for EVERYTHING. He's done the girl scout camping thing. He's trucked out into the Borego desert to rescue me from a camping trip gone bad and bring me back home. He went to 6Th grade camp as the "girls counselor" and was a "cheer dad" in High School. He even drove a whole state to be there when a relationship I was in finally self imploded. He's my dreamer. I have crazy ideas in my life and he always believes that I can and will do them. He is a great Dad (and an amazing Papa Taco).

My Father in law, "Papa" as he's known to my girls, is my reality check in life. He's the tough love type of guy who never fails to tell it to me like it is (even if it's not the way I want it to be). I love the fact that he doesn't hide his feelings about life, but rather just lays it all out there (not unlike myself). He loves all the kids in his life and will drop anything for them. He too is a great Dad (and Papa).

Andy is an amazing Dad! He would drop anything for the girls. He has been known, on more than a few occasions, to get nothing done during the day because there was a Lego city being built in the play room. He's ruff and tumble and will roll on the ground with Sam all day long.

He's nothing like me as a parent. He's fine letting the girls have ice cream for dinner and popcorn in bed. For the first year of Sam's life this drove me crazy! At one point Sam called Daddy "fun Daddy". I would spend my time washing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning up toys while Andy would play dress-up and tea party. Then Andy said something that has stuck with me "they're only this age once". He was right! They would never remember how clean our house was, but too this day Sam still talks about our "ice cream dinners" in the summer.

As a father, Andy has helped me be a kid again.

This father's day I'm blessed with great Dad's in my life that have helped me be a better mom.

Sex and the City

Tuesday night a group of fellow Stroller Stride moms dared the unthinkable and went to the (gasp) movies for Sex and the City. We meet at a local eatery for dinner and (gasp, again) drinks and then walked over to the theatre for the movie.

The movie was not a disappointment. Staying true to it's HBO roots the film was funny, fashionable, flirtatious, and fabulous! Even better than the movie was watching it with friends. We laughed at the funny spots, giggled at the naughty spots (and there were more than a few of those) and even gasped at the dramatic spots.

As we were leaving the theatre I noticed that sitting in front of us were a group of high school aged girls. These girls were young! Too young! Now I'm normally not the type of Mom to soap box on how other children should be brought up, BUT... The movie has a "R" rating for a reason. It's not called Sex and the city for nothing! There was SEX! Talk of sex, visuals of sex, even the act of sex (heck, at one point I saw a penis!). The phrase "soft porn" was mentioned a few times as we were leaving the movie. How could you let your 14 year old watch that?

With the shock of my prepubescent viewing partners still fresh in my mind, I came across this on the Internet yesterday. Sex among high school students on the rise: 47.8% of high school students had sexual intercourse in 2007, up from 45.6% in 2001 according to the CDC. More teens are also having unprotected sex. Only 61.5% of teens used a condom, down from 63% in 2003.
No wonder sex (unprotected sex at that) is on the rise.

Now, I don't want to sound like I'm a preacher! I've been there too (as have my parents). When I was in high school I had the misfortune of going to see the movie "Threesome" with my parents. Yep, you read that correctly..."Threesome". Somehow I got the idea that It was a fun loving movie about 3 people living together in a college dorm. It was. It just also happened to be that and a WHOLE LOT MORE!. As if watching "soft porn" with your parents isn't bad enough, I was forced to endure the sex talk form my parents, both Mom and Dad for weeks!

The amazing thing is after the weeks of talking about sex and what we saw, with my parents, I was way too embarrassed to ever actually have it!

So, maybe that's the ticket. Send your tweens to see Sex and the City then drive them crazy with sex talk and they wont ever have sex again!

There's just something about that whale!

If you live anywhere near the San Diego area you know that last week Sea World opened the "Bay of Play" in what use to be know as "Shamu's Happy Harbor".

The "Bay of Play" (also known as Elmo's World at our house) is great. The girls love to go and run, jump, sing, and dance their self into a happy little Sesame Street induced coma every chance they get. (Note; The Bay of Play has only been open for a week and we've already been twice and are heading back again in two days).

But by NO MEANS is it a substitute for the big attraction at Sea World. SHAMU!

I know I'm not the only person in San Diego that just doesn't get it. What is the appeal of a huge black and white whale that could swallow you for dinner? All I know is that my girls LOVE them. As do most of the kids at our Stroller Strides' class (note: Looking for an easy way to get kids to stop crying about Mommy working out? Ask them about the last time they saw Shamu. I swear it works every time.)

So, at our last Sea World trip, I asked Andy about the Shamu wonderment. After a few moments debating the unique coloring of the whale vs. the appeal of the unknown to kids we both come up with the same concept. The appeal of Shamu might not have anything to do with the actual whale.

It's the experience!

• Kelly one of the Shamu Trainer's has shown her how to "dance with Shamu" and taught her how to give Shamu signals.
• She's given the whales fish and ice as a treat and even had the chance to pet a Beluga whale.
• She has even shown her "puppy" (aka her lovie) to Shamu and ran back and forth across the window while the whale followed her and her pick stuffed dog.

At Sea World, Sam is treated like a "big girl" and allowed to do "big girl" things when she's near Shamu. At the "Bay of Play" she's reminded of how small she is. At two years old, she's too small to climb the bridges, go down the slides and play in the bouncy cage. The life size Elmo and Cookie Monster scare her to death. She's much more comfortable looking a killer whale in the mouth and showing Mama how he brushes his teeth.

One of those days

Have you ever had "one of those days" where the whole world seems to be in your way? We'll today is my day. Note: this should really read "the last day and a half is my day"

It started Wednesday afternoon when my daughter Sam refused to take a nap. This would not be a huge deal except that our afternoon was going to be crazy busy and I knew that a nap-less child would be a MAJOR problem. After struggling with her for almost 30 minutes i gave up and proceeded with my day.

I loaded the kids in the car and took off for Lanie's 2:30 Doctor appointment at Children's Hospital. Wouldn't you know it that the minute we pulled into the parking lot Sam fell asleep. After loading the girls (one fast asleep) into the BOB, I proceeded to navigate my way through Children's to our appointment. Side note: our BOB is a great stroller for Stroller Strides and running, not so great to maneuver in a Hospital full of sick kids and narrow hallways.

Upon checking into the appointment I was notified that the Doctor would be "running a little behind schedule". Normally this would be a problem, but I have a sleeping child with me that I would rather not wake up, so let the waiting begin. Looking back I will regret that thought.

Sam slept for about 10 minutes in the waiting area due to the noise level. The fact that there was a MCDONALD'S in the adjacent hallway didn't help either. Yep, you read that correctly a MCDONALD'S! In a HOSPITAL! Aren't we concerned about childhood obesity?

After wrangling a 11 month old and a 23 month old for almost 2 hours it was finally our turn to be seen. I took Lanie and Sam into the exam room and was told by the RN the "she's on the surgical list. We'll call you sometime in the late summer/early fall when her turn comes up, so we'll see you then." That was it, our appointment was over! We waited over 2 hours for that? I sacrificed a toddler's nap for that? You've got to be kidding me.

Off we went into the afternoon rush hour traffic of the 805. Our normal 20 minute commute turned into a ordeal. Two crying kids, one crazy traffic accident and a mom on the verge is not a good way to spend 50 minutes in a car.

We got home just in time to catch the tail end of the evening news (one of my few vices). I quickly began dinner and got the girls into the bath. As I was getting the girls into their jammies that I got the call that Andy, my husband, had spent his afternoon at Sharp Hospital's ER due to vomiting and would be coming home later that night (he still had to return to work to talk to the Academy Coordinator about his status).

Finally my day was coming to an end. The girls were engrossed in a Laure Berkner Video, Andy was home (finally) and my hopes of a few hours of paperwork time were looking good. Andy put the girls to bed and all that was squashed. If you've ever seen a toddler at the end of a nap-less day, you know what I mean by that statement. Normal people who are tired go to sleep. Not toddlers. When a toddler is tired they rebel. Sleep becomes the enemy. All the tricks in the world would not get our two girls to bed last night (and believe me, we tried). Finally we had to just do it. Put the girls into their beds and shut the door. This use to work well, ya know the tuf love out of sight out of mind method. Just one problem with this theory. Sam is in a "big girl bed" now and can get out.

Two hours and at least two rescue missions to get Sam out of Lanie's bed later (Lanie really doesn't like it when Sam comes to visit), we finally got to bed. Hopes of getting work done dashed.

The good news is that eventually the girls went to sleep, Lanie is on the list for surgery, Andy is feeling better and I didn't kill anyone in all that mess.

Walking for a healthier you!

The most recent issue of HEALTH magazine offers an article by Lambeth Hochwald that states that walking boosts your mood, improves your memory, lowers your risk of disease and helps you to stay fit.Well of course it does. We all know that walking is an important link to better health. So why don't we do it more often. How hard can it be?Well, if you have little ones, then you know the struggles we face, as moms, to get out the door to go walking.

Here are a few of the challenges:

• loading the stroller (how does this thing fold up again?)
• kids dressed
• toys
• snacks
• drinks
• dry pants
• shoes (I know I have some tennis shoes somewhere under this pile of flip flops)
• shorts that fit (yeah right!)
• t-shirt (can I borrow one from my husband?)
• jacket / sweatshirt (the throw-up stain isn't that noticeable is it?)
• car keys / house keys

And that's just the list to get out the door; Let alone take the walk, keep the little one(s) happy, break a sweat and avoid getting lost in your own neighborhood because you have mommy brain.But the fact of the matter is that walking does help and it has wonderful side effects.

According to Hochwald's article, walking is "great for the heart, cut's breast cancer risks, helps you sleep, cuts down on aches and pains, makes you happy, keeps you slimmer, staves off senior / mommy moments & protects your bones." With benefits like this it would be crazy not to walk a little more each week.

Stroller Strides fits this bill perfectly. All you have to do show up. Let us take care of the rest. As you walk your way to better health we entertain your little one(s), never notice your stained sweatshirt, keep you from getting lost, support you with conversation, laughter and multiple shoulders to cry on, instruct you on great exercises to get you back into your skinny jeans / shorts and most importantly walk with you!We're here for YOU and want to see you succeed as a mom and as a woman. We value your health and we want to help you be as fit and healthy as possible.

So don't wait another day to start walking. If you can get to the park, we'll help you do the rest, and can guarantee you'll want to be with us everyday.

See you there!
Post created by Bend Stroller Strides

Eating to prevent disorders?

It's well after 6:30pm. I'm on my way to get the girls and head home while my husband is challenging traffic on the freeway. I know that once I get home it will be a mad dash of cooking, jammies, and finally sitting down to dinner all within the hour that we have till the girls have to get into bed.

Everyday I wonder why I (like lots of other parents) even bother. It would be SO much easier to have the girls feed before I pick them up and simply eat dinner with Andy after their asleep. Then I remember a quote that I read in college,

“If you have dinner with your family, including your kids, five nights a week, you have amazing results. You seem to have less incidence of a lot of problems that parents worry about with their teens.”
– Nancy McGarrah, Ph.D., psychologist

• Shared family meals are more likely to be nutritious, and kids who eat regularly with their families are less likely to snack on unhealthy foods and more likely to eat fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Girls who have five or more meals a week with their families are one-third less likely to develop unhealthy eating habits, which can range from skipping meals to full-fledged anorexia or abusing diet pills.
• The importance of regular family activities to share ideas and find out “what’s happening” is a great way for a parent to be involved, discuss rules, monitor activities and friends, and be a good role model.
• The benefits of eating together will last long after your meal ends, especially if you make family mealtimes a regular activity.

So, tonight as I start dinner at 6:45, still in my work clothes, with two tired girls and one hungry husband "helping" I'll remember that it's not all in vain. The time we are spending together is creating a healthier and happier family.

Bun in the Oven?

Here are some interesting facts about exercising during your pregnancy. Some you may know, some startled even me!

ALWAYS get your doctor's permission before starting an exercise program during your pregnancy

Even if you did not exercise before you are pregnant, you CAN begin to exericse! Begin walking or simple exercises. Its not too late to start getting fit - for you and your baby!

Your goal - maintain, not train! Your pregnancy is NOT a time to reach for higher goals - don't train for a marathon now! Use this time to keep your fitness level the same - don't overdue it.

Listen to your body - the OLD ACOG guidelines recommended women not allow their heartrates to increase over 140bpm but that is OLD NEWS! The new recommendations tell women to listen to their bodies. On a scale of 1-10, you should be working at a 5-7 and no higher.

Remember, some days are better than others. Sometimes a workout may seem effortless, but other days the same workout will feel tough. Listen to your body and do what feels right.

Don't Stop Exercising!! Research has shown that women who exercise throughout their pregnancy and STOP at 36 weeks gain more weight than those who never exercised at all!! So even in that dreaded last month, keep moving. Walking, swimming, elliptical - are all great!!
Just some of the benefits of exercising during pregnancy to mom - lower chance of gestational diabetes, less discomfort, easier labor, faster weight loss after the baby is born, less depression, and much more!

So all you Pregnant Women out there - keep exercising. Your baby will thank you for it!!

My list

I'm what you would call a "MAJOR Lister". My life is a complex stack of to-do lists, in boxes, and post-its. These are all my form of checks and balances. It's how I know that I'm completing what I need to do as well as tracking what still needs to get done. I have a motto "if it's not on the list, it doesn't exist!". (This also applies to our family calendar.)

The reason I love (and I mean LOVE) these lists is because they help me know that I'm on the wright track and that I'm doing what I'm suppose to.

Almost two years ago my life as a "Lister" was completely turned upside down. I became pregnant.

The second I saw the pink line on the EPT I grabbed my day planner to see what I had going on the third week of July (my estimated due date), and started to list all the things that I would have to complete at work prior to my maternity leave.

The next nine months were a blur of things to-do lists and tasks completed. My OBGYN gave me lists of vitamins to take, foods to avoid, gallons of water to drink, labs to get and exercises to do. I was in heaven with all the tasks, the sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that I was doing EXACTLY what I was suppose to be to have a successful pregnancy and health baby.

Then the unexpected happened. I went into labor 3 weeks early, in a restaurant, with my in-laws. This wasn't on my list. The unexpectedness of the whole situation was almost too much for my anal retentive self to deal with. I wasn't ready for this. I packed my hospital bag that morning but I thought I still had weeks to recheck it. THIS WAS NOT ON MY LIST!!!
I gave birth to a beautiful and healthy little girl the next morning.

After months of trying to create a to-do list of what I needed to do with Samantha everyday (feeding, diaper changes, tummy time, more feeding, diaper changes, etc.) I gave up. She didn't (and still doesn't) care what's on my list for the day. She's just as content doing nothing as she is at getting a million things checked off Mama's list.

Now with two little girls in toe, I still create a list EVERYDAY but my lists are different. They are shorter, simpler and more like "wish lists". I also have a new motto "A man should never neglect his family for business" -Walt Disney.

First

As the Mama of two girls under the age pf two my life is full of "firsts". We have had first words, first bites, first steps, first "big girls" hugs, first parties. The list goes on and on. Our lives are so full of "firsts" that everyday is a new reason to celebrate and be excited. What amazing new thing are the girls going to do today?

This morning when I got up I was not looking forward to today. This is one "first" that I wish our family would not have to have quite yet.

This afternoon I'm taking our youngest daughter (she's 10 months old) to meet her new surgeon for the first time.

Personal Best

A friend of mine (and fellow Stroller Strider) participated in the Moore UCSD cancer center walk this past weekend in honor of her Mother. Although I was unable to walk with her and her family I was able to watch some of the event on the news Saturday Morning.

The theme of this years walk was "personal best" and the speaker really touched a nerve with me. He simply asked the newscaster what she would rather have, a good nurse, surgeon, doctor or someone who every single day gives their personal best.

As I made my way through my day on Saturday I really pondered that concept. How often do I try to give less than 100% in something so that I can multitask and get more done? If you are anything like me you thrive in the fact that you can talking on the phone while driving, or watching the news while playing with your kids. But in the quest of getting more done in less time, who are you short changing?

Isn't it ironic that I expect nothing less than the personal best from the people in my life but very seldom give it?

Going Ons This Month

Mamafest Coming in May
For those of you who attended our Mamafest last spring, you may remember this fabulous event! This year we have combined Mamafest with the LUNA Film Festival. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 7th from 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm at the Temple Solel in Cardiff. All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Postpartum Health Alliance and the Breast Cancer Fund. Both of these great organizations support and educate causes that are important to women. At the bottom of this page are links to the online registration form, vendor information, donation form for the raffle and a general information flyer about the event. This makes for a fun Mom's Night Out. So gather up some friends and we look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions regarding this event please call (866) 348-4666.

Free Mother's Day Class
Treat yourself to a morning of fitness and freebies with the 2nd annual Stroller Strides Mother'â„¢s Day class. Saturday, May 10th at 9am

Free Stroller Strides class
Free swag bag to the first 25 moms in attendance
Raffles from the following companies
JJ Cole
Road Runner Sports
Pacific Theatres
Cliff Bars
Joggermama
Happy Baby, baby food
Stroller Strides, and many more

Free Brunch and Massages following class


Sesame Street Bay of Play
GRAND OPENING
May 24, 2008
Join SeaWorld celebrities and San Diego Charger Shawne Merriman when the park opens at 9 a.m. for the official ribbon-cutting and opening of the new kid's play area. Elmo, Big Bird, and your other Sesame friends will be on hand.

Come for a Play Date
Friday, May 23
SeaWorld Passport and Fun Card members are invited to come visit SeaWorld's all-new play area before it opens to other park guests. Be the first to ride three new, family-friendly rides. Passport and Fun Card members enjoy exclusive access to Sesame Street Bay of Play from 10 a.m. 6:30 p.m.We also have our own special discount for those who want to purchase the Silver Passport.
Stroller Strides members can buy adult Silver Passports at the childrens price using promo code SWCStroller08. For more information on yearly passes, visit www.seaworld.com

Happy Birthday to all our May Friends
Gretchen 5-10
Sydney 5-14
Jack 5-15
Aiden 5-19

Mother's Day

I have been pondering what I want for Mother's Day for about a month (keep in mind, I'm the eternal planner) and have come up with NOTHING.

I have two great girls, a great (although very busy) husband, good health and happy home. What more do I need?

Late last night, while I was up walking the hallway with Lanie for the 2nd time it hit me. For Mother's Day I want Mama Time. And no Andy, that doesn't mean a new watch. I want time to relax, recharge and review.

Lisa Druxman wrote in a recent post that she was"... thinking about moms needing to find mom-me time. You will be a better mom, wife, friend and so forth if you have things that fulfill you. "

Strong Mama

I have been called many things in life, some good, some bad, some well... we won't mention the ugly names, but I have to say that I take great pride in a new name I have acquired, Strong Mama.
It came about rather innocently one after noon while I was playing with Sam. We were moving our dining room chairs into our play room to build a tent and, as always she was attempting to move one of the chairs by herself. Not wanting to anger her I let her try to move one all by herself. After a few seconds of pushing, pulling and grunting I heard "Too heavy, Mama. You do". I walked over and asked if the chair was going to be too heavy for Mama to move as well. To my surprise, Sam simply looked me in the eye and shook her head no, "No, you strong Mama, you can do".

Me? Strong Mama? Where on earth did she ever get that idea? I can't move a mountain, I can't bench press a school bus, Jeez, some mornings I can't even bench press my own weight. What do I know about being strong? I still cry every time my girls fall down and scrape a knee. When I think of strong people I visualize Arnold, Helga, you know big beefy people who spend way too much time in the gym. I'm not one of those people. Yea, I work out a few times a week and I try to eat right but that's where I draw the line.

I was still pondering this new name when I came across one of the new adds that Stroller Strides has.

My strength doesn't come from how fast I run or how many push-ups I can do. My Strength comes from the example I set for my girls. Everyday I get the honor of showing them how strong Mama really is. Whether it's working out even though I'm sleep deprived, taking a few moments of "Mama time" to recharge my own batteries, or simply saying no to a second cupcake, everything they'll know about being a woman, a mom, someone of strength they're going to learn by watching me. So, this Mother's day, take a moment to thank all the Strong Mama's in your life. They may not be limited to just your Mom. The Strong Mama's in your life are the women who's actions molded you into the Strong Mama that your are to your children now.

Thanks to all the Strong Moms I get the PRIVLEDGE to call my friends and Stroller Stride Buddies! Your friendship and love help me to be a better mom to my girls.
Shelley