XiaolinMama

A weekend in review...

Ideal holiday weekends to me are the ones where there are not a lot of plans, but the type of weekends that simply evolve organically.  They happen so rarely at our house, since Saturdays seem to always be made up of soccer or baseball or dance or something else kid related.  Things are busier than normal at our household lately - the end of the school year wrap up, renovating the garage and other random projects seem to be taking a lot of time and energy, so we opted NOT to go anywhere.

We instead went to barbecues: a graduation party,  a brithday party, a  neighborhood cook out, a family baseball game, a cocktail party, hit TWO, (yes TWO) movies and dinner at another friend's house where we got to try out the new Wii fit.  Whew, I am tired just typing all that out. Geez! It was great and exhausting, but a wonderful reminder of what I love about summer - eating outside, time to catch up with good friends and summer blockbusters. 

A few quick things from the weekend:

I'm quoted in the San Jose Mercury News - read me here blathering on about how much time I spend on FaceBook - ugh! Scrabulous anyone?

My boy hit another milestone, read about it over at Silicon Valley Moms Blog.

Go see Iron Man - in my opinion best movie based on a Marvel comic book.  Dang!

Before you see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, watch Raiders of the Lost Ark again to properly calibrate your expectations and then you'll appreciate the film for what it was like when we were young.  It was entertaining and quite consistent with the other films.

Having popcorn for breakfast so you can catch the 10:30 a.m. showing really isn't a horrible idea. Horrible would be nachos!   

 

How to impress the UCLA Basketball team

City Mama is having this great contest at her blog.  Share your most embarrassing fitness story and you could win a Wii Fit!  Boy, oh boy do I want one of those.   I'm thinking I could use all the help I can get to fit into a bathing suit this summer.  I have no shortage of embarrassing stories, so here is mine:)

I am obsessed with college basketball, it is probably because it is the only sport I REALLY know how to play.  Regardless, I love watching the game and in college I especially LOVED watching the UCLA men's basketball team!   Talk about hotties!  I worked at the athletic department so was friends with a few of them and secretly - ok, not so secretly, wanted to date the team.  I was seriously their number one fan.

One weekend, I was at a party with some of the players and we all got to chattin' about our weekend schedules and the times that they'd be at the training room for their daily workout.  I, of course, in my drunken stupor loudly said, "Yup I'll be there too.  I, of course, am training to do a race.  I'll see you all there."  Um, did I mention, that NO I was not training for a race, never really been on a treadmill or even liked to run unless it was toward an ice cream stand.  But those little minor issues didn't keep me from dragging my roomie to go "running" with me to impress the team with all our "athletic prowess".  ( You can see where this is headed, right?)   

Well we got there, slightly hung over, and got on the treadmill. Walking seemed easy enough.  The cute boys walk in and start their workouts.   My girlfriend starts to run, so I start to run.  Yup, I am breathing hard now!  Am starting to think this is not putting me in the best of light here and then yes, it happens.  I trip on myself and fall onto the treadmill and then the floor.   Ooof!  The room is silent - my gal pal busts out laughing, which starts everyone laughing.   I turn beet red!   Aack! Someone  comes over to help me up, but I can barely look up.  I try to walk out the room looking down and then hit the doorway.   Geez, get me out of there...

A month later, I do go on a date with one of the players.  While there wasn't much chemistry, we did have a good laugh remembering that day in the gym! 

Are you lookin at me or my ear piece?

I admit some days I am more put together than other days. Heck, I am a working mom - some days I am in sweats all day and some days I actually put on lipstick and wear a dress. Geez, this mama knows how to get cleaned up.

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend a launch party for the Jawbone, an Uber cool blue tooth earpiece, in San Francisco with Beth, aka Tech Mama and Glennia.  (More on the actual product later.) As a parting gift, we each got to take one of those cool things home.  My husband even thought it was cool and tried to convince me to give it to him - uh NO! :)  I have been on a mission to find one of these for months, so the Jawbone came at the perfect time.

Regardless, the other day was one of those days I actually took a shower, was dressed for a client meeting and well, looked good!  (Albeit a rare occasion.)  As part of my normal routine, I stood in line with the masses at Starbucks for my regular hazelnut latte.  I sat down reading my blackberry, sipping my coffee, Jawbone in my ear.  I am usually in my own world reading, working or well, trying to wake up.  This morning I was somewhere in between - reading and people watching.  I caught a gentleman looking my way.  Hmmm, kind cute I guess - weird tie though. Oh well, I'm married and if I WAS looking for a secret lover it would be Brad Pitt.  Back to my Crackberry.  I answer a call that comes in from a client.  I look over at the weird tie guy while I am talking and he is looking over at me again.  Hey, this is getting weird.  I end my call and gather my things.  As I walk out the door, he stops me and says, "Hey been looking for a new ear piece, I like yours.  What kind is it? Does it work in a noisy place like Starbucks?" 

I told him all about my new toy - but am secretly thinking he wanted my phone number:)  Yeah right! Well geez, what am I chopped liver?   Even a happily married girl can have her morning fantasy right?  Who woulda thought that my new ear piece was a conversation starter.  Who needs match.com?  Single ladies - go get 'em while their hot! 

Doctor Mom

One of my best friends graduated with her PhD in Education this weekend.  She is one of those brilliant women, whom you know will make a huge difference in the world. Not only does she run a extremely important non-profit that helps young people of color begin careers in medicine, but she managed to volunteer and go to school at night.  Yes, she was busy and I didn't get to see her as often as I would have liked, but damn I am SO proud of her and all that she has accomplished. This weekend we threw a big party for her.  Music, great food and plenty of friends.  It was a good day.

As I headed home exhausted, I began to to think about how quickly time flies.  Was it really 4 years ago that she called telling me she was going to do this.   She even encouraged me to apply too - something I would have loved to do, but didn't, well couldn't.    It was about the same time that I told her I was pregnant again.  Hmmm.. graduate school, pregnant, full time job and 3 year old at home - even I am not THAT crazy.  I don't have any regrets - but I fully admit to having a tiny bit of envy.  For a selfish moment, I thought wow, J got a PhD and I haven't done anything.  No one is going to call me Dr.  I am such a loser!

Defining accomplishment is a moving target.   Success on spectacular days is birthing a healthy baby or launching a new business.  Most days accomplishment is getting to the office in time for a meeting without any food stains on my suit, figuring out how to get my son to soccer practice and daughter to dance class at the same time and keeping a sense of humor and perspective.   These days I have had more space in my head, more time to take care of me and more time to imagine what is possible. 

I know it is lame to wonder what if - but I wouldn't be normal if I didn't, er, right?  Yes, I don't have a PhD, but I AM called Mama - sometimes xiaolinmama and in honor of my friend J - you can also call me  Dr. Mom because surviving the last four years is a tremendous accomplishment, if I say so myself.  Shoot, I better throw myself a party!  Tequila anyone?   

Women20.jpg

Have spent the day at the Women 2.0 conference. As a mompreneur, it has been inspiring. Certainly reminds me to work harder. More later.

MOMocrats: Dreams of a mother

This weekend the brilliant women at Momocrats are posting up stories of motherhood - dreams we have for our children and the dreams our moms have had for us...  Put your story in the comments. We'd love to have you be part of the conversation. 

My story will be coming soon - that is after Mom's Night out!!

Operation Bathing Suit Ready: Week 6

I did it - joined Weight Watchers online.  (Thanks to Melissa!) For a week, I looked at the box of yummy WW muffins and chocolate snacks and felt guilty about not signing up.  But I did it finally and I am sure I will be stoked.  They suggest that a reasonable goal should be 10% of your body weightm - yup that is 17 pounds.  Geeez, doesn't that sound like alot?  That's what happens when you eat brownies in bed.

The exercising has been off and on lately - that whole work thing has a way of gettin' in the way - ugh!  (Excuse #112)  My Uber personal trainer Danielle, introduced Russian Kettle bells to the routine.  Yes, they ARE as awful as they sound.  But they promise big results.  According to Pavel, the kettle bell master, "Kettlebells melt fat without the dishonor of dieting or aerobics. " 

What is that you say, without the "dishonor or dieting" hell yeah I'm in!  What I won't have to try to embarrass myself trying to keep up with the "coordinated folks"?  The results so far - I am freakin' SORE!!   and I want a brownie:) 

Bathing Suit catalogs keep appearing in my mailbox - is this supposed to be insprirational? or a cruel joke??? 

Dear Maria Shriver:

Dear Maria,

I was one of the 50 SV Mom bloggers who you met with the other night at the Books Inc. in Palo Alto, when you kindly shared about your life and a few selections from what you called your "presidential library".   

Bloggers more talented than I have chronicled what we all talked about, your jokes, yours memories and the way you were able to relate to us all and put us at ease.  I shouldn't have been surprised by this - you are a mother after all.  It is what we do, isn't it?

I left our gathering thinking about your book, Just who will you be?.  My children are getting older and I have been working hard to redefine myself - mother, wife, sister, daughter and entrepreneur. Is it really possible to do it all?  Do I have the courage to do only part of it for a while?  Oh, how I wish I did have courage when my babies were younger.  Oh how naive I was to think that I HAD to work to maintain a sense of me.  I was afraid to lose myself; but somehow seemed to lose myself in the hustle of it all.  I also left thinking about my mentors, my mother and girl friends, those who helped me get through it all without killing anyone. I left grateful.

Today I had the opportunity to have lunch with a former colleague of mine.  She was contemplating scrapping her good paying job and heading off to get an MBA or go for a another maybe dead end job.  I realized that in this case I was the mentor. I was the one who could help this talented woman figure out what to do next.  I found myself asking her, "Well just who will you be?  Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?".  I left grateful that I could repay the favor.

It was a fun night.   You were certainly a highlight, but it was a chance to catch up with girl friends to do something completely selfish like actually listening to a speaker that isn't Shrek or Scooby Doo. It was a chance to catch my breath.  This gathering was something I looked forward to all week.  Thank you for reminding me about the constant struggle to remember that everyday can be a fresh start and that I can decide who I will be. More over, thank you for reminding me that as a mother and aunt, friend and mentor that we have the responsibility to ask the same question of those closest to us.

With much admiration,
Sheila (aka xiaolinmama)