My new writing gig

I'm so excited to about my new endeavor and I want to share it with all of you.
I learned about The COMO Collective from my twitter friend and MidMO Social Media Club president Kate Canterbury. I knew I had to be a part of it. I'm a beginner blogger, and Kate is quite a visionary hyper-local blogger who has created a consortium of COMO voices that blog about our wonderfully artsy, eclectic and family friendly city. I am excited to learn from this group!
My plan is to write mostly about the facets of our city that I enjoy and want to be a part of. Things like our art, restaurant and local theater scenes. But I'm also a mom, so I may throw in a few COMO family and mommy pieces as well. My latest post is on my fellow mommy buddy Audrey McFadden and her incredible paintings.
Check out the COMO Collective and then share it with your friends. Thanks!

Happy Mother's Day

My kids are very excited to help me celebrate Mother's Day. Jenna gave me one gift already, a book she made at school about why she loves me. I know it's cheesy, but those are the best gifts your kids can give you. Her words' accuracy may not ring true (she says she loves me b/c I make great hot dogs and I'm so smart I even "know math") but the fact that she thinks I'm awesome and put that into written word makes me very happy.
I love that my kids are still young enough to think that way about me. I know that very soon they may change their minds, when they realize I'm not a rock star or a genius or anything. That time is coming sooner than I care to admit. Sometimes I can physically feel them slipping away from me...
But for now, they still cuddle with me, they still look up to me for most things, and they still let me kiss them good bye (well, Connor won't if anyone is around. Like I said, the time is coming. But when it's him and me, he's still my little guy). They make me feel special even when I don't feel that way about myself.
At bedtime tonight we read Me and My Mom. This book is so sweet. The bear thinks it's mother is better than perfect and follows her around doing everything she does. She wants to be just like her when she grows up. Jenna says "just like me mom."

I can't imagine why she wants to be like me, but if I can be half as good an example to her as she thinks I am I'll be happy. If I can be half as awesome as that I'll be happy. It makes me want to do things that make her want to look up to me, which means living my life for me as well as for her. I want her to see that I have interests, goals and that I'm good at other things than just being her mom. So she can have even more reason admire me as a person, not only a mom. She makes me want to be the best mom, but also the best person that I can be.
Being a mom can be very inspiring.