I get up early to make school lunches.  I hop in the shower, get dressed, put on makeup.  I kiss my husband goodbye, pile the kids in the car, and tell them to “Hurryupwouldyoupleaseputyourshoesonandhelpyourbrotherbucklehisseatbelt? Wearerunninglate!”

I drop them off at school and rush off to a meeting.  I’m that working mom.

Later, I show up at school in yoga pants.  My hair is in a ponytail, and I’m sucking back a cold Diet Pepsi.  I sit in the carpool line checking my messages on my phone.  I smile when my son gets in the car.  I ask him how his day was.  ”I ddmmm,” he mumbles.  We drive home.  I fix him a snack, and absorb the tiny details of his day as they leak out of him while he does his homework and I clean the kitchen.

I’m that stay-at-home-mom.

On most weekdays I work at home in my office, listening to Dr. Laura while I format blog posts, find photos, tag, code, and publish.  People from all walks of life call in – many of them mothers who either stay at home with their kids, or work.  I nod in solidarity with their plight.  Both kinds.

I’ve been flip-flopping on this for years, but it just hit me the other day that I’m that mom.  No matter what kind, I’m her.

And I actually love it.

In short:

Last month I went to Oahu for about 72 hours.  Three other bloggers, one PR guy, and a varying collection of locals ate, snorkeled, “surfed,” drank, hot tubbed, kayaked, hiked, spectated, tried to make fire, danced, rode, sniffed, tasted, watched, lei’d, and many other things along a stretch of the North Shore of Oahu.  My travel writer-y posts will appear starting this Friday on The Vacation Gals.  In the meantime, here is a slideshow I made that tells you the story using photos that didn’t make it into the posts over there.

Click to visit the flickr slideshow page to see the full descriptions.  It’s like a story in slideshow form.  Enjoy!

I wrote this piece a long time ago for the now-defunct blog Being Savvy Los Angeles.  It bears repeating.  Happy Mother’s Day!

1. Personal trainer: I have enlisted my child to count to 30 for each stretch I have to hold. I got a new exercise mat (given to me to test by the lovely folks at G2) and I have committed to doing the stretches once a day for at least a week to see how good it makes me feel. My kids like hopping on me while I do floor stretches, so giving them the task of counting distracts them. Kyle, the 4 year old, is relentless, and will not let me stop before 30.

2. GPS: Okay, he doesn’t come with directional satellite, but he does enjoy repeating the directions that the GPS unit barks out when you are supposed to make a turn. His self-appointed role as direction repeater keeps him occupied on long car trips. “Dad, in two-tenths of a mile, turn left, okay?” Bonus!

3. Personal shopper: When you take him to the store, your preschooler can help you find items on your list (in close proximity). Again, it gives him something to do and you get assistance to get your shopping done faster.

4. Life coach: Nothing like the incessant “Mom! Come look at this! Mom! Mom! Mom! Etc!” to get you the heck out of that desk chair and into life. When I catch myself saying “As soon as I’m done with this post, honey,” I know I’m on blogger overload and it would be good for all of us for me to take a break.

5. Housekeeper: For some reason, my boys love sweeping. They don’t do a very good job, but while they take joy in this task, I encourage them to sweep away! Be careful with this idea – they might start spilling things just so they can sweep!

Chamika from Help A Mother Out on Vimeo.

June 2007

Bad gifts and burnt toast are wonderful if your kids made them.

Because I am a mom blogger, I receive a lot of pitches from people wanting to get press and buzz for their products or books or services or events, and even more so in the last few weeks because they are tied to the upcoming Mother’s Day (May 13).  Many of these pitches try to hook me by bemoaning the poor gift choices that husbands and children make or the bad breakfast in bed that wakes you extra early on a Sunday, or they tout blissful escapes from the family.

I’m the first blogger who will complain openly about how my husband and/or children drive me crazy in general, so I get where these pitches are coming from.  They’re trying to appeal to my sense of humor.

But this whining about lame gifts and poorly made breakfasts is lost on me.  If my husband and children make a special point to choose a gift for me or team up to make a mess in the kitchen, all with the intent of delighting me and showing their love, I feel nothing but gratitude and heart-squeezing delight and appreciation for them as my family.

Look at these kids.  I can’t believe I made them.

Becoming a mother truly changed and enriched my life in ways I never expected.  I knew it would be epic, but how could I have even dreamed that motherhood would open up such amazing opportunities for love, employment, friendship, creative growth, and adventure as it has?

I’m extra grateful this year after all our family has been through.  This Mother’s Day I wonder if it should be ME giving gifts and making a special meal to thank my boys for what they have done for me.

But don’t tell them.  I’m going to stay in bed and wait for my breakfast.