What’s green & carries a Blackberry?

I’m feeling the need to take a small break from life, work, blog cycle. A small one. But I need some levity. So let’s share some moments that are so mundanely funny that we have to laugh!

I know you have these moments too. And you think nobody wants to hear because they are so silly, so odd, yet so normal. Share! I want to hear. Tell me about your mundane miracles of life.

So, let me get you started. And then use the comments section below to share yours!

Today:

In a moment where I lost track of what day of the week it was, trying to be a GREAT mom (and break up the already-annoying summer sibling rivalries), I promised my daughters a trip to Calaway Park today after their swimming lessons. (p.s. Hey honey, third time… we’ve got our use out of those passes already!). And, I’ve been putting in lots of long hours and hard work on my business in the past 8 weeks. Daily. So I thought it would be a good break. Then I realized I’d miss the last call of a fantastic program I’ve been involved in to evolve my business with fantastic Gina Bell. Boo hoo. And then also realized I would miss a class I registered for with PR In Your Pajamas’ Elena Verlee. Boo hoo hoo.

But, I am always mom first. Business second. Always. It feels as good as wearing comfortable shoes to have this mindset. So I tucked the Blackberry away at 10:00 a.m. and there it stayed for most of the day. And, other than a misguided choice to stop at Gap Generation mid-day with three hot, hungry kids excited to get to Calaway, it was a really really great day with ‘just the girls’ (if you’ve lost track, the girls are me + 7, 4, and 2 year old daughters).

All three daughters are adrenaline junkies (that comes from motorcycle racing dad!). And for better or worse, are tall for their ages (foreshadowing: for (my) worse). Meaning they “are allowed” on rides they have no business going on for their ages. Certainly, the 2 year old (albeit nearly 3) should not be getting on drop of doom type amusements by sheer millimetres. But she can. And she does.

In a moment of pure joy at having a completely untethered day of fun focused on my daughters, I found myself on the Wave Rider (because 2 and 4 year old were adamant, and REQUIRED an adult). And on the second spin around the pivoting and undulating ride, I wanted off. I really needed off. I lost concentration and concern over my daughters’ happiness and safety and completely focused on deep breathing and prayer (I don’t pray often). I NEEDED off.

By some miracle I wasn’t the statistic on the ride (dear husband informed me this evening that particular ride is THE ride at the park that the staff avoid working at all costs because of at least one unpleasant clean up duty a day… if you get my pukey drift).

As it ended, I shouted to my SEVEN YEAR OLD daughter – get your sisters off the ride! Mommy can’t mommy right now! I continued my measured breathing and dared open one eye just enough to find the exit. And I unlocked my concentration on containing my stomach enough to sense that my 3 ducklings were following me away from the devil-ride.

I was aware that I may have looked the picture of the insane mother as I shouted at my kids “I don’t care how thirsty you are right now! Mommy gets the water!” My often willfully independent children realized mom was cracking up and obediently embraced their empathy gene as they waited on a nearby bench while I settled my stomach and got a grip!

Then I shipped them off to the kiddy swings which, now “boring” and my oldest is nearly too tall to ride, the girls were obliging enough to hop on to give me a break. Or they wanted to get away. Either way, they were safe in the care of a paid employee for a few minutes and I got to drink all the water and find some shade.

And my Blackberry. Because I can’t keep an experience like that to myself for long. I Blackberry Messengered my husband an SOS – in case he needed to come rescue me. Then checked my email.

A favourite client/new friend, Gloria Christie of Ultimate Chicktrips (who has humour in spades) had just messaged me some questions about an error I made on some event dates (because imperfection is my new calling card). I responded and told Glo where I was. She replied back how I have more fun than she does these days.

I laughed when I read that. HER calling card? The Facilitator of Fun. This is a title she was BORN to bear. She is so fun I want to be beside her, if I can’t be her. And to remind her of that, I told her I am certain we’d both rather be doing what she was doing than what I was doing at the amusement park! (Because I had the inside track… if she wasn’t hanging at home drinking a glass of wine I’d put myself back on that ride!).

She was at home having a glass of wine. I told her I made a hugely miscalculated decision to go on a really nasty ride and was paying the price at that moment (in fewer words tapped out on the bberry- thanks for listening Glo!). And in the process of sharing a moment in time, we sorted some work bits and pieces out.

Okay, so let’s wrap this up. I became a better mom again shortly after my email exchange/the kids’ boring swing ride. I massaged the mommy guilt by a stop in the candy store on the way out of the Park. I managed to drive home with concentrated care and caution. And after sitting for a few hours with a bowl by my side, I’m feeling much better thank you!

I haven’t sent the emails I promised to send today. And am ignoring some important inquiries (sorry!). But I did connect with Glo in one of those ‘get-personal-with-your-customers’ kind of ways (well, not the way any expert but me would recommend!). But I’ve been sick. So all will be forgiven!

I guess we can now say a mompreneurs’ day in the office is (not) a walk in the park! (groan)

Your turn!