First Day of Camp 

Was my son going to get cheated out of his summer vacation because I'm a working mom? This was the question that kept racing through my mind mid-way through my son's first year of elementary school.  When he leaves Kindergarten in June, would he feel like less fortunate than his peers who "got to" stay home all summer?  It's never simple balancing work and family as a working mom, but this particular dilemma was new to me.  You see, during the daycare years, the transition to summertime was seamless and frankly unnoticeable. Why was that? Well, all of his friends were in the exact same boat. Not so with elementary school. In fact, several of my son's closest friends have moms who are teachers or freelance or don't work.  How was I going to ensure that my son had a great summer? Or better yet, was that even possible?

Back in February, my fellow working mom friends and I were frantically signing our kids up for camp, or more accurately camps. I registered my son for six-weeks at the local golf and tennis club, followed by two weeks of day camp at the YMCA, and added one additional week of
Art Camp (there is no camp the last week of summer, but that's a topic for another day).  As you can imagine, there are numerous logistics associated with singing up for multiple camps and then there's tuition, something we hoped not to see after years of daycare payments.  In fact, camp does not come cheap.  Honesty, though, the looming sign up deadlines and credit card charges were nothing compared to the unknown: would my son feel like he got robbed of his summer vacation?

To my surprise (and delight!) my son loves camp and has said multiple times that he's a very lucky kid because he gets to go to the "Best Camp Ever!" Phew, what a relief.  The kid can't wait to go each morning and is having the time of his life - playing sports, making new friends, eating chocolate cake for snack - and he can't wait to tell me about the games he plays and crafts he's made when I fetch him in the afternoon.

Sure, we still need to transition to camp #2 and #3, but I can honestly say that the first several weeks of summer have been a joy for our family and a big relief for me.  My son has his cake and is eating it, too.

It's not bragging to say that I do the lion's share of the daily preparation and household chores for our family. Like many moms, I suppose the same might be said if my husband didn't travel for work, but he does.

When he's not spending a week in China or Europe or South America, my husband's jetting off to Pennsylvania, or Texas or Atlanta. This level of travel is partly why I adopted a friendlier work schedule late this summer. With my son heading to Kindergarten and my husband's travel heating up, it became obvious that something had to change.

Because I'm around a bit more these days for things like leisurely weekday breakfasts and putting my son on the bus, which I love, I've become acutely aware of my husband's 'Superhero' status.

Wikipedia refers to superheros as "mystery men", which I suppose is what has ultimately elevated my husband to this status. On top of being away quite a bit, his job requires him to help others, which he's very good at, and he's 'saved the day' on more than one occasion. Although he doesn't wear a cape, his business suit is equally impressive to a five year old.

I might be the one serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner for my son, bathing him, reading him books, playing with him, carting him to sports, tending to bumps and bruises while working (nearly) full time, but my husband's grand entrance after a week away - gift in hand - is what really makes our son light up and smile ear to ear. In my son's eyes, his dad is most definitely a Superhero. I figure that being the Superhero's wife is pretty cool, too.

It's officially crock pot season! Like most working mothers, I put the crock pot to use once the weather turns colder each year. Although it takes some planning and prep up front, there's nothing that delights me more than coming home to the wonderful aroma of a home cooked meal, especially when I didn't have to "cook" it.

This past weekend I bought a turkey breast, planning ahead for the crock pot. We love faux Thanksgiving dinners, so it was the perfect choice for us. I simply popped it in the crock pot, added a bit of water, and rubbed on my favorite mixture of fresh rosemary, thyme and sage (all from my little herb garden), parsley, Tamari (soy sauce), butter and a honey drizzle. That's it! Done.

After we ate the turkey - not once, but twice - for dinner this week, it was time to make a wishbone wish. My son had never done this, so my husband and I were pretty excited. My husband arranged the wishbone "just right" so that my son would end up winning the pull, and then the two of them got into position. One...two...three... Pull!

My son was jumping up and down. He (thankfully) got a bit of his mom's competitive nature. When my husband asked him what he wished for he said "I want to kiss mommy". What? That's your wish, kid? You can do that anytime. Yes, that was his wish. I smiled and gave him a big hug and kiss. What mother could argue with that.

This particular back-to-school was a milestone for our family. Our son, now a preschool graduate, started Kindergarten this year. This transition from daycare to Kindergarten brought up all sorts of feelings. Excitement and worry topping the list.

On the first day of school, my son boarded his bus with such enthusiasm that he didn't even look back to wave. I smiled because I knew my child was ready. He had nearly a week of 'practice' Kindergarten at his new school and loads of practice at his preschool, too. He'd met new friends and was excited about his expanded schedule. What surprised me on this first day of school - along with the fact that I didn't shed a tear - was that after the bus drove away, I found myself facing a void. Now what?

A few minutes later, I met four moms whose children had shared a similar new morning routine. As we sipped our coffee at Starbucks and shared the freshness of the first day, it hit me: I wouldn't be seeing these moms every day anymore. These women weren't just the moms of my son's preschool friends, these gals are my closest friends. We'd seen each other nearly every day for past five years at drop offs and pick ups. Sure we'd all be saving nearly a thousand dollars a month (yay!) now that daycare was done, but this aspect of my son's transition to Kindergarten I didn't see coming. I'd been so caught up in his 'what ifs', that I didn't realize until that moment that my friendships would be changing right along with his. MY FRIENDSHIPS. We'd still see each other at birthday parties, swim lessons and occasional play dates, but would we still share those day-to-day mom moments and meltdowns? Not likely.

On the eve of my son's school's new parent orientation, I find myself wondering...will I make any new friends tomorrow evening?

The bond between daycare kids and their friends is a strong one. They're noticeably close, even though they now go to different schools or attend different classes. I suspect that although our daily routine is changing, the daycare-moms-turned-Kindergarten-moms will stay pretty tight, too.

As much as I'm trying to savor every minute of summer and the joy that this fair and fleeting season brings with it, I'm never far from the thought that my only son is off to Kindergarten this Fall. It's going to happen, whether I like it or not.

I do like, don't get me wrong. He's worked up to this moment. His entire pre-school class is rehearsing their graduation songs and he's really into being 'big'. So what's the problem?

His life is changing. Mine is, too.

I've changed my work schedule to be more in line with Kindergarten hours. It's a big change after having him in daycare for the last five years for ten hours a day (and me at the office for ten hours, too). He'll have a shorter day. I will, too. He'll be carrying his own backpack, fending for himself in the lunch line, shuffling from classroom to classroom, riding the bus - gasp! It's a lot to take in for a mom who likes doing things for her kiddo. In the mornings lately, he's been standing at the door saying "Let's go mom. Come on!" and at school the other day he actually said "You're good to go, mom". No lingering in his classroom or extra kisses and hugs needed. I was GOOD-TO-GO.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure I'm ready for a truly independent, confident child, who needs me on a need-to-know basis. Of course it's what I should want. In fact, my husband and I have raised him to think for himself, do for himself, and to be a well-mannered boy. He just never "bought in" until now.

While my husband was in Houston this week, my son put on his clothes, brushed his teeth, combed his hair, put away his toys (without me asking) and engaged in all sorts of well-mannered behavior. He held open the door for me and "other ladies" at school, asked to be excused from the table without being prompted to do so and cleared his own plate. For three days in a row he kept up this routine. Are you kidding me?

Don't get me wrong, he's not perfect. What he most definitely IS is a soon-to-be Kindergartner with a new found sense of pride in his own ability. He's growing up. And until now, I didn't get the message that as his mom I need to "grow up", too.

What I know for sure is that come this September, the leaves won't be the only things falling. This mom's going to shed a few tears.

Let's face it, being a working mom means you have to stay super organized and do your best to multi-task every day. There's not a lot of wiggle room and the working parent schedule is not very forgiving from a time management standpoint. Like most working moms, I fall down on the job sometimes.

Sure my child goes to school with clean clothes, hair and teeth brushed (except for one day last week) and my husband and I make it to work on time just about every day. On the weekends, we always make time for a fun family activity and rarely miss a kid or family member's birthday party. So what am I blabbing about? The stuff (insert the word I really want to use here) that doesn't get done.

For us, it's almost always the same. Family bike ride? Check. Laundry. Nope. Spring cleaning and changing our clothes from winter to Spring? Finally took place last month just about the time the Summer Solstice made its grand appearance. You get the idea.

When I get the rare day off that's not earmarked for a sick child or travel day, it's a great opportunity to get to those pesky little projects that desperately need my attention. For me, today is that day and my self-proclaimed hoarder status is my project.

Keep. Toss. Donate.

We're paper pack-rats. My husband is the major mail opener and bill payer, I can't seem to throw away any of my child's artwork or family cards, and my kid colors and draws like it's his life's work (can a mom really argue with that?). Today, I'm happy to report that my recycle bin is full. In fact, I can't even close the top properly. It took FOREVER to look through every single piece of paper, but I'm feeling really good about the fact that my piles have either diminished or - in the rare case - disappeared all together.

I went through both mine and my son's closets and held nothing back in the toss and donate department. Thankfully, I have mom friends who have boys younger and smaller than mine and we have terrific places to donate and consign women's clothes in our town.

My mother gave me a beautiful photograph of my grandmother around Christmastime, so imagine my surprise (It was more like dismay, bordering on shame) when it appeared in yet another pile of "stuff". I'm definitely keeping it and may even achieve superwoman status and finally get it properly framed.

So three hours into project clean up, I'm taking a break and writing this blog. Next up? Lunch and an iced coffee. I've made some serious progress, but I'm still me after all.

A week ago Monday, I had planned to take a much needed personal day to decompress and get things done. The most important item on my to-do list? A 90 minute massage.

The Saturday morning prior, my son woke up with a fever. Not just your ordinary 'throw a dose of Tylenol at it' fever, this was of the full on chills-body aches-crying variety. Scary. He hadn't had a fever like this since he was a baby. With a big night ahead of me, I called my parents in as reinforcement and headed to the Children's Museum at Saratoga fundraiser at Saratoga National [I'm on the Board, otherwise I would have put on my PJ's and stayed put]. I made it through most of the evening before my folks alerted me to yet another fever spike. Poor guy. I went home to do what moms do. I cuddled, snuggled, and wiped tears and tried my hardest not to breathe in the germs. My personal day was right around the corner and it was my very first day off since the year began.

Sunday arrived with a repeat of Saturday's fever with the added pleasure of my own scratchy throat and headache. No biggie, I told myself. We'd both feel better in the morning.

Wrong.

We both felt WORSE in the morning. My dad came over so that I could go to the doctor first thing. It was official: my personal day was now a sick day. When the doctor said "you have bronchitis", I thought I'd heard him wrong. My first case ever.

My son's diagnosis came on the fourth day of fever Tuesday afternoon. By the time we made it to clinic hours at the pediatrician, they'd seen more than a dozen cases of flu. My son had it too.

The planned personal day was not to be (I didn't get my massage...wah wah), so I let it go and got back to work on Wednesday and proceeded to play a serious game of catch up that would last through the weekend.

Annoyed? Nah. If there's one thing you learn as a working mom, it's that the kids come first, then work, then massages. Even on my worst day, I wouldn't change a thing. I'm turning my "fail" to focus and planning our first ever family international trip. The Roses are going to Ireland this summer! More on that later... I'm also sure I'll get that massage at some point and it will be just what I need in that moment.

On a good day, I spend on average 1 1/2 hours with my son in the morning before I drop him off at full day pre school and another 3 1/2 hours at night. Yes, you're adding that up correctly. As a full time working mom, I typically spend 5 hours a day with my child during the week. Breaking it down this way did initially create some anxiety for me and it took time (and more than a few deep breaths) to get used to the numbers. As a family, we've worked with this math for nearly five years now. Here's how we make every moment we spend together count:

1. Start every day with hugs, kisses and kind words.
2. Breakfast (even if it happens to be in front of the TV watching a favorite show like Oswald or Little Bear) is shared with mom and/or dad.
3. Engage in one small project or learning activity before we leave for school.
4. Make car travel time count for learning and sharing. On the way home from school we review the day, share feelings and often a lot of laughter.
5. Dinners are simple during the week, but everyone is involved in the preparation.
6. Reading books and learning are at the forefront of our evening time. We have a Junior talking globe, anatomy books and children's classics and encyclopedias and we keep them where we can use them - not tucked away neatly on a bookshelf.
7. TV time is limited in favor of talking time or outside play time (weather permitting).
8. Bath time and bed time doubles as quality time.
9. Structure in our household is negotiable when it means squeezing in a little more kid/parent/family time. It just works for us. Even if it means bedtime gets pushed to 9:00 pm.

That pretty much covers the way it's supposed to go anyway. In the spirit of full disclosure, though, here's a challenge we face as a working family:

Although we've attempted to institute technology "black outs", it simply hasn't worked. My husband's job is Global, so he needs to be accessible after hours and my job is connected with a daily newspaper that prints nightly. It's just not possible to turn them off. Our commitment is to "control the controllables". We choose when to check our mail and try to set aside designated times to work in the evenings and on weekends. That way, we don't feel constantly tethered to our smart phones and laptops and don't have to deal with interruptions from an active preschooler. It's important to be honest as a working parent. Pretending that it's perfect doesn't serve anyone in the family - least of all your child.

Embracing where we are at this moment makes it possible for us to be just that. In the moment.

You couldn't really call it a photo shoot because working moms were involved. '

It all started because I finally had an appointment to have my hair colored and cut on my calendar. Sure it had been on my calender two weeks prior (conference call bumped that one), but this one was going to stick. It had to, since my roots were quickly becoming borderline offensive.

Our current MediaMoms photo is 1 1/2 years old. This fact, combined with the thought of great hair, prompted the photo shoot idea. Here's my thinking: the day you get your hair done is the PERFECT day to take a photo. In fact, it's the only day that month that your hair is going to look like you actually spent more than 10 minutes on it.

I shared my epiphany with Betsy Demars, fellow Media Mom, and Erica Miller, The Saratogian's chief photog. They couldn't argue with female logic, so the question became, could they make it work? The answer: well, maybe. We decided to play the whole thing by ear since we had to also factor in breaking news (the nerve!).

Our set appointment time came and went, which we all knew it would. Then an hour later, we all suddenly found ourselves - long after five, mind you - in the same room. With no time for primping or planning. our creative strategy was simply "let's do this thing".

The time frame allotted for the photo? Less than five minutes. Why? Betsy had made a promise to her son that she'd personally shuffle him to practice. She had to make that stick, and we weren't about to let her down.

Erica, being the talented gal she is, decided that even though it was pitch dark - we needed to get out there. In the freezing cold. So onto Maple Avenue we went with a prop (chair) in hand. Shivering back to back, we laughed out loud and the irony of the moment. How on earth do you schedule and art direct two working moms into the perfect shot? You don't. Because there is no perfect day, time, shot. Thankfully, we'd given up on perfection when we became working moms!

I haven't seen the photographs, but I know that seeing them will bring to mind the reality of being a mom who works and makes promises to her kids, who still needs to cover her roots and who accepts the fact that these things rarely go as planned. Nor are they easily scheduled. Home and work collide every day. It's a messy job, but these two Media Moms like it that way. And, we have the pictures to prove it.

Apparently, I'm not the only one hearing this from my four year old (phew!).

Our family went skating this weekend with friends who also have a four year old son. So when my mom friend and I had a minute to catch up between the skating rink and the bouncy-bounce, we discovered we had both heard "you're not my best friend anymore", "you're not my good mommy" and the dreaded "I'm not listening to you. You're a mean mommy" recently. [Insert collective sigh of relief here]

As a mom, words like that make you feel as though a million little heat seeking missiles are piercing your heart. What? You don't think I'm the best thing since sliced bread? No?

Well, that's because I'm not your best friend. I'm your mom.

My friend and I share the same sentiment when it comes to responding to the "you're not my best friend, mommy" kind of kid backtalk. It's simply not our job to be our boys' "best friends". Our collective responsibility as moms is to raise kind, generous, well-mannered young men. Sure they're cute enough (and turns out clever & bold), but that's not enough. These boys will someday (hopefully) be a great boyfriend or the husband of some girl's dream.

For now, our little guys are all ours. But someday, they'll be so much more than that. Teammates, students, roommates, boyfriends, employees, husbands and - dare I say - fathers. Although it's hard to believe, our little "talks" about the importance of manners, respect and kindness may just make a difference. We're counting on it.

This month, I took a little vacation from blogging. As a quintessential extrovert, I'm almost always in the middle of whatever is happening - at work and at home. Yet when the holidays roll around each year and coincide with quarter end and year end at work, my external focus takes a sharp turn inward. In short, it's just a bit too much to handle. In order to pull off hitting revenue expectations at work, being certain my team takes all their (well deserved) vacation time, being Santa for my four year old, gift giving for friends and relatives, and preparing food for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, my ability to do anything "extra" is nil.

In fact, with six birthdays in late December and early January in addition to Christmas, I get downright overwhelmed and a tad cranky.

The only way I was going to be able to blog during late December was to full-on vent about the multitude of things I had to do. I'm sure you're happily nodding that I spared you the interaction. Frankly, no one wants to hear anyone else complain - especially with Christmas music playing in the background! Sure, some people are super good listeners and kind-hearted friends, but there's a limit to what a person should have to bear.

Most moms, working of otherwise, agree that this time of year is hectic. Sure it's a joyful time of year, but it's like a race to the finish as the final days before Christmas tick away...

The holidays are now over and I'm focusing on the promise of a brand new year ahead. As I draft my annual list of action items, goals and dreams for the future, I plan to reset my expectations in key areas. A little harder on myself in the "me" category: working out, healthy eating, etc. and a little easier on myself in the "you can do it all" category. Seriously, we're not "supermomwomenemployeewives", right? There's only one of me and as someone who had a couple health scares this year, I know I can't do any of it if I'm not well. Thankfully, a warning was all I needed to get back on track and not let myself forget about, well, me.

Here's to a new year that has all the "good stuff": peace, joy, love, health and prosperity. Cheers!

As a working mom, I can tell you life is busy. When the holidays arrive each year, "busy" anxiously welcomes its long lost pal "overwhelm". So how can you cope with stress during the season of supposed cheer?

Delegate. Are you lucky enough to have a friend or coworker who's a fabulous baker? I do. Emily Donohue, our online editor here at The Saratogian, can whip up a delectable holiday cookie tray in a flash. I just ordered two homemade (albeit not by me) cookie trays that will be ready on Christmas Eve. If you don't have your own source, feel free to borrow mine. Emily's Cookies

Schedule a sanity check. Call a girlfriend for coffee or tag team a shopping trip. I play Bunco with more than 20 great gals in Saratoga once a month and this month we're turning our "girl's night in" into a girl's night outside. Honk if you see a group of women serenading fellow Saratogians on Broadway in Saratoga this Thursday! I'm looking so forward to getting into the spirit of the season.

Sign on. I was a late adopter to online shopping. I think it's partly because I spent nearly four years as a local business owner before returning to media. I couldn't bring myself to shop at a store where I didn't know the owner (or manager, at least). You know what changed that? I had a baby and became a working mother! Now, I buy the name brand stuff the way the rest of the world does. For unique and handmade gifts, I shop local all the way. It's all about balance when you don't have the luxury of time.

Start a new tradition. I'd like to say my idea for starting a new family tradition came straight from the heart. Nope. Mine came in the form of a Bed, Bath and Beyond $5 off coupon. The flyer from the paper showcased an easy-to-assemple, fully stocked kit for making a colorful, traditional ginger bread house. For about ten bucks, I've got myself a new family tradition.

Treat yourself. You know you want to. That gorgeous scarf. The over-the-knee leather boots. A relaxing massage. My version of taming the holiday tension took the form of a much needed personal day last Friday that included a hot stone massage. The soft light, aromas, and the sensation of knots leaving my stressed out shoulders proved to be just what I needed.

Enjoy the season and feel free to share your holiday survival tips with me!

This November is going to be a "Can she do it?" or, here's hoping, a "She lives to tell the tale!" kind of month for this working mom. You see, it's that time of year. Yes, budget reviews. I'll be, along with our local team, defending our 2011 budget at the end of this month. That, as you can probably imagine, involves a lot of preparation - meetings, spreadsheet reviews, number crunching, creativity, collaboration, and more meetings. In other words, it's a really busy time of year.

So here's the kicker:

My husband is having a similar month. He'll be leaving shortly for a week of global travel. He's training a team on his company's product who don't speak his language. No stress there! When he returns from this trip, he'll have 36 hours on the ground before flying out again the following week. The week after that? You guessed it - more travel.

So what's a working mom with a full workload and a four year old to do?

Panic? No. Plan? Most definitely.

It takes a tremendous amount of planning (and patience) to make this kind of work/life scheduling nightmare not an actual nightmare. Although we do this routinely as a family, my husband's and my schedule had collided at this level of magnitude until now. I'm admittedly unsure how I'll handle it all, although I'm comforted by the fact that if something goes wrong (you can't count on it), I have people in my life that will step in to lend a hand - coworkers, family members and my inner circle of mom friends. It's not going to be easy, but by the time Christmas rolls around, I'll be on the other side of what seems like a trek up Mount Everest at the moment. Until I can enjoy the view, I might as well enjoy the climb.

This past weekend I read an article in Parent's Magazine titled Remedies for the Witching hour: tips for preventing evening meltdowns. I knew right away that the author was talking about the kids (mostly), but somehow I wished there was advice on how to avoid meltdowns of the mom sort. If I were to compile the list it would look something like this:

1. Act like the baby you are. It was a rough day and you need some transition time between work and daycare pick up. So what's a mom to do? I say crank up the tunes in your car and sing like a banshee. Or on those really bad days, have a good cry on your way to pick up the kids. In other words, just force it out of your system. It's in everyone's best interest.

2. Bring back the 50's cocktail hour. How on earth did this ever go out of fashion? I just can't think of a good reason.

3. Give kids what they want -- TV & treats. Sometimes (not always, of course) just give in and enjoy the much needed peace and quiet that comes from the contented bliss of a kid on gummies and Olivia.

Don't you feel more relaxed already?

All kidding aside, the article is here and worth reading.

I spent the last six weeks of summer watching a fellow working mom friend become progressively more fit and more toned by the day. I'd see her in line at Starbucks or at daycare drop offs and think "Wow, she really looks terrific. I wonder what she's doing..." To be honest, I didn't so much wonder as run right up to her and say "what EXACTLY are you doing to get so fit and trim? I need it and I need it now!" Although she told me (repeatedly, I might add) that it was Jillian Michaels' 30 day Shred DVD program, I didn't get started. Not right away anyway. I think part of me wanted to see if she'd stick with it. With the last 10 pounds of baby weight (yeah, I know my kid is four) at stake, I wasn't about to waste time - and energy - on something that didn't work.

So two weeks ago on a Friday afternoon, another friend who also wanted to make positive and lasting changes in her health and I went in search for the DVD in question. Step 1: purchase DVD. Done. Step 2: Play DVD. Well, not so fast...

The weekend came and went and the DVD remained safely shrink wrapped on my kitchen counter.

When the work week began once again and this particular Monday turned out to be a doozie, I headed home to shake off the stress and figured that I had two choices: a glass of wine or 20 minutes with the toughest trainer on TV. I chose wisely.

I hit play and said out loud: "Bring it, Jillian!"

After what seemed more like 30 minutes, I thought to myself "that was fantastic!" So while still in the afterglow of exercise bliss, I made a commitment to surrender to Jillian Michaels' "tough love" every other day for the next 60 days. I read somewhere that it takes 60 days to form a new habit, so I figured that stretching out the 30 Day Shred to 60 days wouldn't do much harm.

Ten days in and I've now graduated to Level II. Although it brings with it squat thrusts and plank jacks, Jillian has become someone I actually look forward to seeing on a regular basis. Progress is slow, but steady, and I'm feeling more energetic, less stressed, and have a have a renewed strength of mind and body. Although I haven't hopped on the scale, my clothes are fitting better and I've got a keen eye on a pair of skinny jeans tucked neatly away in my closet.

Tomorrow morning when I lace up and press play, I know I'm one step closer to my goal of shedding - I mean shredding - those last 10 pounds.

Note: my mom friend is still feeling - and looking - great. Thanks for this inspiration, TR!

Within the last ten months, I've travelled to three countries. Kyoto, Japan in November 2009, Paris, France in June 2010 and this past weekend Santiago, Chile. If you find yourself wondering how a mom of a 4-year-old who works full time travels like this, you're not alone. I ask myself the same question when a travel opportunity presents itself. Can I really make this work? There are work and childcare logistics to consider - at a minimum. The honest answer is that it isn't easy, but it's doable. And, it's always worth it.

My husband's global business travel determines the locale of our adventures, but the rest is up to us. We enjoy these spontaneous trips and maximize our time together exploring what's special about each country we visit. This past weekend's trip to Santiago was tacked onto a long weekend and only one vacation day was burned. This is important to me since I work for a multi-platform media company that puts out a new product each minute, hour, day. I only receive two weeks of vacation per year, so strategic planning is key. In fact, all three trips were enjoyed in less than 3 days and four nights. Now that I think of it, Santiago was two nights and three days bookended by red eye flights out of Atlanta. Seriously? I'm amazed at all we experienced (see blog post part II).

You might be thinking I'm down right nuts to travel such distances for such a short period of time, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Even when I traveled for business, I'd sacrifice myself for the greater good of "family time". My trips looked something like this: wake up at 3:15 AM, drive to the Albany airport to catch the 5:50 AM to Detroit, connect to Milwaukee, drive an hour or two to said appointment, meet for one or two hours, drive back to airport, connect in Chicago, arrive in Albany airport at 11:55 PM and home and in bed before 1:00 AM. Get up at 6:00 AM the next morning... You get the idea. Leaving my son with grandparents for three or four days is my personal "comfort zone", so I tough it out to take advantage of once in a lifetime (more, I hope) adventures.

Traveling internationally is nothing new for me. My whole adult life I've been accused of having "wanderlust" or being an "adventure addict" by my family and friends. I've been traveling internationally since I was 19. When I announced to my college roommates after seeing a commercial on TV for a $99 flight to Brussels, Belgium that I would be "taking the bus into Syracuse tomorrow morning to get my passport", there was laughter all around. When I showed up in our suite with both a passport and plane ticket in hand two weeks later, they weren't laughing.

I was bold. I was an inspiration. I was out of my mind?

My family took a while to get on board as well, but friends and family alike accept that traveling is just a part of who I am. My husband, thankfully, is no different and I suspect our son will follow suit. We're currently planning a family trip to Ireland next summer.

I'm one of the many moms who embrace both work and motherhood with enthusiasm. I do my both to balance my two passions, and consequently I'm a time management junkie who lives and breathes by a schedule. Is my color-coded outlook calendar over the top? Some say yes, I say no.

This past weekend I took my time management skills to the street. I started jogging or more accurately "slogging" - slow jogging - recently and needed a good pair of shoes to support my return to running.

On Saturday afternoon, the family headed to Dicks Sporting Goods to see what they had in the way of running shoes. My husband also needed a pair of hiking boots for a business trip to Santiago, Chile, so it was a dual purpose trip (of course). I immediately honed in on the Reebok RunTone shoes. With easy web access from my iPhone, I quickly learned the Reebok website claimed these shoes "Tone Key Leg Muscles & Increase Endurance". Intriguing, I thought. Could this be the perfect shoe for this multi-tasker who likes the idea of combining cardio with high tech muscle toning?

Time to check the reviews! The gist from several reviewers was "The moving air pods in the sole and heel of the Reebok RunTone shoes create a bit of instability with each step. It is like using a balance disk, but with far less of the unstable feel. This slight instability helps activate more muscles with each step, which may result in more toning of the leg and buttock muscles and may help tone core muscles as well". The promise of "may result...may help" was good enough for me, so I headed home with my new "super sneakers".

I've got to say, these shoes are r-e-a-l-l-y comfortable to walk in. Although I haven't taken a proper run "slog" in them yet, I have pulled my son around the neighborhood in his wagon twice and really felt my muscles burning. Combining two workouts in one, is it really possible? For a mom who has little time to herself for exercise in general, I like the idea of a shoe that maximizes my time and muscle tone.

If you happen to see me out on the road struggling to hold my self vertical, just remember that there's one less color-coded action item on my outlook calendar.

This past week has been humbling as a working mom. I started my week attending a funeral and memorial service for my dear friend and next door neighbor. Not the way you want to start any week.

Arriving at work just after noon on Monday, I began review of month end commission statements, held a sales meeting to kick off the new month, and worked with our online sales manager to confirm our digital numbers - our best month ever! I was happily getting into the swing of things when at 3:45 PM when I received "the call" from my son's daycare provider. "Your son has a fever", the director shared. This was the beginning of what would be a week of balancing a sick little one, a hectic work schedule, a husband out of the country, and the loss of a close friend.

My son started feeling under the weather with stomach issues on Saturday, but once the fever hit I knew we were in trouble. And after nursing the new symptom of a croup-like cough all night long, we headed straight to the pediatrician first thing Tuesday morning in an attempt to nip whatever it was "in the bud". The pediatrician confirmed my fear: Coxsackie virus. She said they call it the "summer flu" because it's quite often spread in warm weather and, in particular, pools (Um, we have a pool). Thankfully he didn't get the accompanying mouth sores, which can be incredibly painful. Daycare was out, so Tuesday became a sick day for him and a missed day of work for me. I'm one of those lucky working moms who usually has a lot of support. This week was the exception rather than the rule and I was lacking back-up big time.

I attempted to find a new groove on Wednesday and Thursday spending half days at home in the morning with my son (including a SECOND trip to the pediatrician) while the second half of the day my parent's watched him while I hustled into the office trying to squeeze in conference calls, meetings, deliverables and other sales management duties. At home on the couch in the morning, emails and voice mails piled up on my BlackBerry while I stroked my little boy's hair as he lay his head on my lap. Afternoons spent in the office were interrupted by daycare and doctor and concerned granparent calls centered around on my son's health. This was not going to be easy.

As Friday begins - my first full day back to work - my to-do list is a mile long and my fingers are crossed that my son will make it through his whole day at school. My husband is simultaneosly making his way home from South America and tomorrow we'll be one happy - and (hopefully) healthy - family again.

I'll be spending a few extra hours in the office over the weekend in an attempt to not start the week at a deficit, which is just fine. As a working mom it's never possible to give 100% to two separate endeavors. Each day, as hard as you try, you inevitably come up short somewhere. This week, both work and motherhood suffered as I tried desperately to keep the balls in the air. Once I finally acknowledged the truth that they had fallen on the floor, I took care of each the best I could knowing that there isn't a playbook for the working mom. If there were, mine would most certainly be dog-eared.

Dropping my son off at daycare that very first day back to work meant enduring a kind of emotional pain I'd never experienced before. I don't know how you prepare for something like that ahead of time, but I felt emotionally wrecked and cried all the way to work after ten weeks of maternity leave. After a while (a week or two or three) we all happily settled into our new routine, but those first few days were tough. These early memories of being a fledgling working mom came flooding back to me this week when our newest account executive started her own journey as a working mom. She, like me nearly four years prior, returned to work and began the daily routine of daycare drop offs and pick ups. After nearly two years of being home with her young son she decided it was time to get back to her career. We're glad to have her and to be honest, I've been impressed with her ability to stay focused and upbeat all week. In fact, I haven't seen her shed a tear yet (not that anyone saw me either).

Being a mom who entrusts her most precious gift to daycare workers day-in and day-out needs to keep a "glass if half full" attitude. My silver lining is that I've made some amazing mom friends along the way. Who could possibly have more in common with you at this stage in your life than other working moms dropping their babies off along side you every day?


Through our daycare connection we've developed lasting friendships that have moved us beyond the four walls of daycare. We enjoy play dates, GNO (girls' night out) and family-friendly gatherings as a group. We're down-to-earth moms who work hard, value family, and appreciate the value of a good laugh. We're bankers, wealth managers, ad execs, and entrepreneurs. We're moms.

One of our coping strategies is to exchange what I call the "daycare download" which means we share just about everything; milestones, challenges, wins, losses, and lots of funny stories. Right now there's a lot going on between us. I'm still getting used to my husband traveling to Asia on a regular basis and two of the moms have kids moving up to my son's classroom. Although I'm happy the kids will all be back together, room transitions can be challenging for both kids and parents. To ease the transitions among us, the moms are teaming up to ensure that I stay sane and that we do whatever we can to make the children's transition is a smooth one. Whether it's taking the extra time to acknowledge the kids at daycare encounters or responding to emails sent by a mom having a tough day, the daycare download works. It's also our way of getting the "scoop"; what's happening with daycare management, teachers, rooms, kids, everything that's involved in our children's lives while we're working. We have each other's backs and are willing to pitch in at a moment's notice. We share extra clothes, snacks and over the years - a LOT of diapers. Luckily, we never seem to run out of the same thing on the same day.

One day this week I saw two of the moms at drop off and one was having a really tough time. I didn't know all the details, but her frustration and concern showed on her face. Via text and voice mail, I later learned that she had to wipe a few tears on her way into work. I've been there too many times to count. And my mom friends have been there for me. Some days are - like they are for everyone - better than others, so having a network of mom friends with all the modern day ways to communicate: Twitter, Facebook, text, email and cell phones, makes it easy to stay connected.


I'm personally grateful for these conversational exchanges (in personal or otherwise) that calm shaky nerves and make it easier to juggle life's important things: work, family and on a good week - some personal time and space.

Daycare downloads are just moments of vents, questions, comments, and sometimes - critical information. My favorites are vents. You need them if you're going to hunker down and be productive at work. For example, sharing a moment we had with each other's children at drop off or pick up that the parent missed can make a mom's day. Any working mom knows that moments that make you laugh, help you worry less, and inevitably make your day better are precious. When it comes to being a working mom, having a network of trusted friends makes the journey that much sweeter.

On a recent school day morning, my son and I were enjoying coffee (mine), orange juice (his) and a granola bar (also his) while watching Ni Hao Kai-Lan on television. It's one of our morning rituals when we have time to spare which, as you can imagine, is not often.

A few minutes into the program, I noticed he was searching for something. Adding to the puzzled look on his face, he announced that his granola bar had, as he puts it, "gone missing."

We got up and moved the pillows and cushions around. Nothing. "Why don't you check under the couch"?, I asked. As he bent down to look, I burst out laughing. The granola bar (whole) was stuck to his back.

Laughing like hyenas, we fell on the floor. After finally making it back to the couch, he turned to me with a smile and handed me half of his granola bar. We sat side-by-side eating our respective halves, interupted only by the occassional giggle.

Silly moments like these are precious to me, especially when life gets busy (always) and my mind is racing with work-filled details. Being present in the moment is a wonderful place to be - and FREE - as well as being totally underrated in a world filled with Blackberrys, iPhones (and yes, I have both), Twitter and Facebook. Although I don't think I'll find another granola bar stuck to my son's PJs, I will welcome the reminder to savor the moments that I know will soon be fleeting memories.