Today is a day of reflection for me. It is a day to think of all the things I am thankful for in my life.

Here is just a partial list:

• God – I owe EVERYTHING to Him. He has never given up on me.
• Ken – My wonderful husband. I am thankful for his love and his health. I have learned to appreciate each and every day we have together. Each day is a gift.
• Ryan – My oldest son. I am thankful for his love, creativity and generosity.
• Austin – My middle son. I am thankful for his love, passion and sensitivity.
• Brandon – My youngest son. I am thankful for his love, curiosity, and kindness.
• My mom – Now that I am a mom, I appreciate her more and more each day.
• My sister, Tric, for her love and willingness to always be there for me when I need her.
• Greg – I am thankful his love for the boys and knowing he is there if I need him.
• My health, happiness, employment, and enjoyment for life.

My list could go on and on. ..

What are you? What are you thankful for today?

At work I had project deadlines to manage, customers questions to answer, and new prospects to evaluate. But instead of working today, I took a personal day and “played” with Ryan and his brothers. We had a great day!

Tomorrow all of  my work will still be waiting for me.

But hopefully Ryan will remember his 15th birthday with a smile, because his mom took the day off to enjoy with her babies!

Happy Birthday Ry Ry!

Love you,

M~

Visit Working Mom’s Life for ideas and inspiration for working moms.

Try this cool activity that will definitely create some fun this summer! Visit Mommy Day Camp.com for other fun family ideas.

Mommy Day Camp

Who does love cooking hotdogs over a campfire, eating smores and listening to nature’s night activities…Well, hopefully we would meet any of nature’s night activities….

Holiday weekends are made for creating memories! What memories are you planning to create for your family this weekend?

Enjoy!

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What are the pros and cons of my different day care options? baby after I go back to work?

What do I need to know if I want to continue to breastfeed   my Baby

What new skills will I need to develop to successfully take care of my family’s needs, my employer’s needs, and my own without losing my mind?

Will I ever have time for me again?

Learn from other moms who have been where you are today.

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Normally I look forward to participating in such school activities, but that night I was tired and had many other things on my mind. Needless to say, I was not in the best mood and the boys could tell.

Well, the first class we went to was Austin’s reading teacher, Mrs. Todd. She complimented Austin on his hard work and self confidence. So also commented that she knew Austin would be a good student, because she had heard such good things about Ryan, his older brother.

Then we went to see Austin’s English teacher. More praise. Then onto Ryan’s English teacher’s classroom. She greeted him with a big hug and could not say enough good things about him. Ryan’s math teacher…ditto. Choir, Science, World Geography, etc. 

By the time we left school I was beaming! 

I am so very proud of my sons. They are growing up to be wonderful young men. 

On the way home, I thanked them and told them how proud and honored I was to be their  mom…

I am the luckiest mom in the world!

Please visit WorkingMomsLife and read more about balancing work and life situations.

At work I reviewed agreements, dealt with partner issues, attended meetings, and worked on finalizing our 2009 strategic plan. It was a fairly typical day.

At home after dinner I helped my 1st grader with his “reading strategies” by listening to him sound out the words in his short stories.

Then I proceeded to help my 6th grader solve his improper factions math puzzle.

Then I was on to helping my 8th grader study for his science test. And no, I did not know what the definition of “radio active matter” was, much to his dismay.

But it wasn’t until I tried helping him with his math homework that I realized I did not know the equation for finding the slope of a line… Didn’t I learn anything in school was his comment.

I did feel a little dumb at that moment.

But it wasn’t until after I had tucked them in bed and sat down for a moment, that it hit me…all the things I had ACTUALLY accomplished that day. And it was a typical day.

Being a working mom requires us to wear many hats. It also requires us to be good at switching those hats effectively.

I think one of the greatest challenges we as working moms faces is acknowledging to ourselves that being a working mom is difficult. All of us want to do everything we can for our employer or company and for our families. We give 100% all of the time without much thought. 

But we need to stop once in a while and appreciate ourselves for who we are and for what we do. We should give ourselves a “Working Mom Star” for effort and accomplishment.

Oh and by the way just in case you were wondering…the equation for finding the slope of a line is

                                              y=mx+b

If you are a working mom, I would love to read your thoughts, feelings, and challenges. Please share!

Please visit www.workingmomslife.com for more ideas and tips on being a working mom. Have a great day!