Chicago Mama Spot

Lame Easter Mama

My slight Neighbor obsession has diminished now that Daddy-O is back from his golf trip.  It seems like he's been gone for so long, but I think that's just because I haven't really been sleeping much since he's been gone.  I did get so much accomplished.  There aren't too many boxes left.  Just one storage closet full and that has to stay that way until we get the basement finished.  I am so happy it's almost done! 

It's so nice to have Daddy-O back home.  We missed him.  Sweet Pea said "I love you" for the first time on the phone with him Thursday.  She kind of slurred the words together and she was just repeating me, but my heart melted. 

On to the important stuff . . . I don't want anyone to think that I've forgotten about Neighbor.  I'm still interested in becoming FF (Friends Forever if you didn't use this one in grade school).  But, I think I just stop worrying and try just be normal. 

However, there is the blind dilemma.  We have windows looking directly onto their deck.  Do we leave the blinds open in the evening?  We have up to this point, but if they're on the deck and someone is on our sectional, you're almost part of their conversation.  I  brought this question up to my mom and sister last night, and a few minutes later out Neighbor and her husband came with another couple.  Well, obviously I couldn't close the blinds after they came out.  That would have been rude.  Oh hi, I see you and now I'm shutting my blinds on you.  I think when it gets warm, maybe we'll just shut them at night.  I really am trying not to obsess about weird stuff, but sometimes the ADD kicks in pretty strong!

We're having Daddy-O's parents over for Easter brunch.  I could get enough blog content on them to last me a long time, but I'm staying quiet on the in-law front because it just best for all.  They love Sweet Pea beyond belief and that's all that matters to me.  They just got back from Paris.  I don't think either of them have ever been abroad or traveled too much, so it should be interesting (or maybe really, really boring) hearing how it went.  I'm crossing my fingers that the pictures have been somewhat edited down. 

Besides making a delicious Easter brunch, I am a lame mama.  Sweet Pea doesn't really get holidays yet and we're not too religious.  So, I'm really just dressing her up for the grandparents and because it's so fun to see her in a new spring dress.  I bought the whole Paaz egg thing.  We've just been too busy to do it.  I have a really cute felt Easter basket for her, but all I really have to go in it is paper Easter grass and some empty plastic Easter eggs.  I'm dreading Grandma asking me what we did for Easter for Sweet Pea. 

This mommy guilt thing is really all-consuming.  The weather is really working a thing on me.  It has been so nice.  I just feel like I should be outside all the time with her.  If I'm not, mommy guilt comes to get me.  I'm almost glad tomorrow is supposed to be rainy. 

How is it 1:30 in the morning already?  I've got to get to bed, so I can wake up early to get brunch ready.  Since Sweet Pea started sleeping in so late, I have no reason to get to bed early.  It's really hurting our productivity during the day.  I have so many errands backed up.  She is sleeping almost 16 hours a day.  It has to be a growth spurt or something.  The two of us are little sloths sleeping in until 9:30.  Not tomorrow, I'm going to have to be a tornado of activity to get things ready by 10:30. 

Au revoir.

Nana (mom to me)

Thanks to my friends and my wonderful sister for giving me so many sweet messages and virtual shoulders to cry on.  It means so much to me. 

I'm taking a little break from my life to talk about someone else for a change.  I missed writing something about International Women's Day on Wednesday.  I'm going to celebrate it by talking about my mom . . . 

"International Women's Day is the universal day that connects all women around the world and inspires them to achieve their full potential." 

I love my mom. I think she's incredible.  So you can see I'm a little biased. 

She was just became President-Elect of the National Pork Producers Council.  She was just at a meeting to discuss how to protect our food supply from terrorism.  She's getting ready to spend a week with my niece while my sister is in Mexico.  She really just does it all.  It's funny how life seems to prepare you for what's coming.  My mom is the perfect example of that. 
 

She was probably like a lot of other moms back in the late 60s and early 70s.  She met my dad in college.  They got married a few years later.  She quit school and started working to put my dad through law school.  They moved to a medium sized town a few hours from their hometown of Chicago and started their family.  First, I came along and then three years later, my sister was born. 

Even though she didn't work after we were born, she was always doing something.  I don't think we ever thought of my mom as a housewife.  She was more of an über-volunteer.  Like all kids, when we played, we mimicked what we heard.  Our version of playing house and being mommies involved going to a lot of meetings. 

I think her love of volunteering really started when she joined the Junior League of Peoria.   During our childhood, she was involved in everything from Planned Parenthood to the Zoo.  Most of what I remember her doing related to women and women's rights.  She got a lot out of her volunteer experiences - leadership skills, self-confidence, a sense of what she was good at and what she like doing, and many good friends. 

My parents separated when I was 6 or 7, then divorced when I was in 7th grade.  We were lucky because they managed to not only be civil, but to stay friends.  We still celebrate at Christmas with both my mom and dad and their new spouses (well, not so new they've both been remarried for over 20 years). 

After my dad left, my mom went back to school at Bradley University to finish her degree in English Lit.  It had to be hard as a single mom with two little kids.  She just took one class a semester to start and eventually graduated - with honors.  Then, she started her Masters and, as a Graduate Assistant, started teaching freshman comp. 

She's just always been a "do-er," but in a low-key way, so before you know it, she's running the show. 

My mom met my step-dad when I was in 7th grade and they got married pretty soon after.  He was a hog farmer, so my mom moved about an hour from Peoria.  I convinced her to let me stay where I was and live with my dad (but let's save that for another post).   I am putting it mildly when I say that she threw herself into being a farmer.  For a few years there, she was always in overalls and tall rubber boots.  You can imagine how embarrassing that was to an 8th grade girl. 

She always says was born to be a farmer.  Her great-uncle had a dairy farm in Iron River, Michigan.  She used to go there when she was a little girl and hated washing her clothes when she came home because she loved the smell of the farm so much. 

Thankfully, you can't keep a good volunteer down.  She started to do a little volunteer work for some industry organizations and all that volunteer experience paid off.  Pretty soon, she was on committees . . . then, Boards. . .then, President.  She worked her way through the Illinois Pork Producers and of course, that led to the National Pork Producers Council where she will be President next year. 

Along the way, she was appointed Director of USDA Rural Development for Illinois by President Clinton.  This was her only real paid position.  She lived a few hours away from home during the week and came home on the weekends.  There just aren't a lot of people I know who would take that risk. Not just living away from home, but suddenly managing a staff.  But, it turned out to be good not only for her, but for her marriage.  Distance does make the heart grow fonder!

She had decided after my niece and my daughter were born that she wanted to scale back her commitments.  Being a part of the NPPC Board requires a lot of travel and she just felt like staying closer to home.  She loves her two granddaughters so much and they are almost obsessed with her.  At least once a day, Sweet Pea will suddenly say "Nana?"  And look at me slightly disappointed because I'm only Mama. 

That scaling back thing didn't quite work out.  A woman on the Board passed away and my mom felt like she needed to step in because she was worried about the quality of the potential replacements. 

She still spends lots of time with the girls, but most importantly she's doing something that she loves; something that's a part of who she is. 

I think my sister and I would both say that as much as we wish my mom was always around when we wanted to talk to her, it's just as important that the girls see someone like my mom doing what she loves.

One last thing, I would be remiss if I did not mention my step-dad.  He loves her enough to be able to give her the freedom to reach her full potential. 

Happy International Women's Day, Mom.  I'm proud of you.