STLWorkingMom

I’m liveblogging from BlogOrlando today over at Where Do You Stand? Come on over and follow along if you’re interested in learning more about blogging, blogger relations, social media, crisis communications, blogging for business and participation marketing.

Tag: BlogOrlando

I’m hitting the skies again, today. This week, I’m off to Orlando for BlogOrlando, a blogging and social media (un)conference hosted by Hyku and Josh Hallett. I’ll be liveblogging tomorrow over at Where Do You Stand? the collaborative blog of Standing Partnership.

I’m traveling more than usual this quarter. Last week I was in St. Louis and in two weeks I’ll be flying off to Miami for another conference. Two more work trips to St. Louis, a weekend in Vegas and then a family trip to the midwest will close out the remainder of my travel for the year.

In most of the families I know, it’s the dad that travels for business, and the mom that holds down the fort at home. My travel makes it possible for me to have my dream job and work at home when I’m in Charlottesville. Sometimes the air travel, delays and long, long days wear on me, but it’s all really worth it. What really makes it possible though, is that my husband and my kids are behind me. The only one that’s crabby when I’m leaving again is Clover.

The kids keep it together while I’m gone. The boy is responsible and enjoys that he gets the car all day when I’m away. The girl makes an extra effort to be good (uh, usually) and is helpful. She gives me a hug and says goodbye, and never makes me feel bad about leaving, again. (I do fine with that, myself.)

I have to really applaud my husband — he’s always encouraging when another trip is on the horizon. He says, “Just go,” and means it. He handles everything while I’m gone, from kids’ schedules to meals; school issues, sick dog fun (on one trip, Clover ate a bag of chocolate candy and barfed for days) and general household stuff. Often, upon my return, the house has been cleaned. If my flight arrives just before dinner, I come home to delicous food on the table and a smiling family.

This must be what it was like to be a dad in the 1960s.

So thank you, family. I’m off again for a few days but, as always, I look forward to getting back to be with you again.

Tonight, we’re attending a fundraiser, CANCER STINKS; Buy Drinks! Our friend Allison and her friend Nikki are hosting the event at X Lounge in Charlottesville. All bar tips from 6pm-10pm go to cancer research. Join us for a drink and the fight against cancer.

As regular readers know, my husband’s brother was a cancer victim, and my good friend M. continues her battle against metastatic breast cancer. We’re personally invested in the anti-cancer rally and encourage your support.

Can’t make it to Charlottesville this evening? Donate anyway — even if it’s just $5 — and support Nikki and Allison for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk in October.

Jen on the Edge tagged me for the eight random things meme. I’m really sharing with her, but since you’re here, you’re welcome to eavesdrop on this conversation. Following Jen’s lead, I’m going to offer tidbits about the grownups in the house. You hear enough about those crazy kids around here.

1. I have standard, common allergies including hayfever and the like. As a child, I was allergic to milk and to this day, suffer if I have any of the “crumbly” cheeses. Mark has strange allergies, such as a severe one to neoprene — you know, the stuff of which wetsuits are made. Recently, he bought some water shoes and after a day of wear, realized they contained neoprene (red, bubbling skin is a good sign). After his feet healed, he washed the shoes thoroughly, and tried again and what do you know!? Another rash. So, the other night I was eating a slice of avacado/tomato pizza from Christian’s and said, “I think this might be feta on here.” As I took another bite, Mark was warning me that I would surely be sick. To point out my stubbornness he said, “I think I’ll wear those shoes again.” We refuse to believe in our allergies.  

2. When we got engaged he gave me a hood ornament from a Chrysler minivan. He was working at the plant that summer (adding the hood ornaments on the line) and one found its way to me in lieu of a ring. The ring came later, but he already had my heart.

3. In a boat, on a river, in the mountains = our favorite place to be.

4. We’re both nearsighted, with one eye significantly worse that the other. For me it’s my right eye; for him, the left. Together we have nearly perfect sight.

5. We’re both avid readers. We rarely read the same book.

6. Mark can hear just about any song on the radio or elsewhere and tell you what band/artist it is. I always have no idea. I can, however, tell you what I and others in attendance wore to most events in my life, going back to the early 1970s.

7. Mark gives me the most charming, unexpected and thoughtful gifts. I give him terrible gifts and somehow he manages to forgive me.

8. We’re ridiculously, crazily proud of one another. And that’s really nice, because there’s no one I want to feel that way about me more.

Tagging some moms: Self-Made Mom, Crazy Bloggin’ Canuck, Quiet Morgan You’ll Wake the Dinosaurs, Plain Jane Mom and My Heart’s In Dixie.

This is the big year for the girl. She’s 11 going on 20, you see. By my estimates, this year, before she turns 12, she’s likely to pass me up in height, no small feat, since I am, (or was at one time) outlandishly tall. Since I met my husband (6′4″) and since my son has reached (we hope) his full height at 6′7″, I’m soon to be the shrimp of the family. The girl is gaining on me rapidly. She’s about 5′6″ at this writing (5′6.5″ by tomorrow). We both wear a size 10 shoe. A couple of months ago I wrote about a clothing-related incident that almost landed me in the ER.

She realized, with this week’s cooler weather, that she’s down to two pairs of jeans — both a little tight, both a lot too short. So tonight we ran to Target and skipped right past the girls’ section. There’s no need to even TRY there anymore. In juniors’ I pulled out a size three for her to try. No dice. Then a five. Too tight. I went back and fetched a seven and hestitating for a moment, grabbed a nine just in case.

Thankfully the sevens did the trick — I can’t have her catching up to me too fast! I bought two and asked her to slow down the growth spurt until I get back in town this weekend.

So parents, how do you do it? How do you keep ahead of these kids growing faster than you can shop? I don’t want to buy her too much now because I know in a few months we’ll be doing it all again. I also don’t want to buy her a size too big and make her feel (and look) ridiculous. I’ve already given her some hand me downs — shirts and skirts I no longer wear that actually fit her — it’s pretty weird.