Going The Distance

Some may call me a Queen of all Trades, hand in multiple pots, stirring and whipping up the next batch of adventures with my tribe.  I made the decision while having each and everyone one of my children that I would not sacrifice who I was inside as an ambitious, creative and driven woman, hell-bent on proving to myself that most anything can be achieved with enough passion, love for helping others in the process and of course trust in the Universe.

With much gratitude, I am blessed with the ability to be able to stay home with my little ones, while still devoting time to my other endeavors, whether it be photography, custom lamps, miracle skin care, and my other ‘baby’ this blog.  I have also learned that many of these gifts that I have had the privilege to be able to develop and utilize for my own personal projects can easily be transposed into the lives of my kids and furthering whatever passions they may possess at this time in their lives, filled with unbound imagination. I am happy to be an example for them, of what it means to see a vision in their mind, set fear aside and go after that sucker like no tomorrow!

They wanted to venture into the world of children’s modeling and commercial work- so I said why not? I could see that it was something that their little personalities (correction: very large personalities in little bodies) would thrive in, in addition to the potential of success- there’s the life lessons of patience, character building that comes from rejection- (an unavoidable reality in this field) and choosing to laugh and have fun no matter what. I have had the joy of taking pictures of them all, for the sheer fun of it and the thrill of not knowing what may happen next.

Needless to say we were beyond ecstatic to land the kid’s first major campaign for Tea Clothing. And, they wanted all three of them (Little Brody was still cooking in my tummy at this time) for their next catalogue. Oh, but there’s one smallish catch: My due date for baby number 4 was almost exactly when the shoot was scheduled… In SAN FRANCISCO!! Well… I have to confess the thought briefly crossed my mind to pass and let the cards fall where they may; maybe they would call again- maybe not. Right? Yea you all know me well by now!

My husband being a dentist in his own practice was not going to leave to make this trip happen. So I did what any crazy, possessed, sleep deprived, newborn- possessing mom would do. I called a dear friend to fly in from Boston and escort me on a road trip from San Diego to Tea headquarters in beautiful San Fran for three days of work.  Ahhhh…. It was not easy at all, to say the least. But I knew how much it meant for each of these little souls, to see their faces bright up in delight that Mamabear was literally going the distance (nine hours of driving to be exact…. no, wait! more like 11) to grab this opportunity by the horns and trust God that all would be well in the end.

Fear was not an option. We had great weather and a scenic route on our side along with buckets of caffeine. Brody was thankfully at least a couple of weeks in the world by then. He had been your average ‘need to nurse every two hours or so’ baby, but other than the usual demands he was a dream, already a team player! We had a great time working with this fantastic company and will always remember this gigantic hoop we jumped through to get there in order to make it happen- just the babes and I (and my dear friend who gets huge brownie points forever more).

Now of course, this sort of adventure is not at all what I would call your average form of going above and beyond for your kiddos, and certainly not something I would even suggest any sane, normal functioning mom to do (again, here lies the unlikely pros of sleep deprivation!). There’s that abiding code of duty and I dare say honor that most moms I know just operate from on a continuous basis- probably to the point of not even realizing that you are placing your own needs last for the sake of your kids/family. There’s some of the time a sense of uncaused joy that I feel when I know I could make that much of a difference in my child’s life with all the continuous little things each day at a time.

Sometimes it’s staying up all night, days at a time tending to a stubborn illness. Sometimes it’s driving all the way back home after he realizes he forgot his favorite blanky while just entering the freeway on ramp. Sometimes it’s planning the perfect fill in the blank. It may border on spoiling, but I don’t think that’s always the case either. We have signed up for you name the class, museum, and have driven to it while heavy raining (California ‘rainstorm’ but still). Some may call it instinct to have that urge to go above and beyond for your loved ones. For me it doesn’t always feel automatic, but I remember being a kid once too. And I remember what it felt like to me. Whether by my beloved grandmother or mother and other family I treasured, the immeasurable love they gave without me ever having a chance to earn it-it has undoubtedly given me the capacity in my heart to give it to my little ones today.

Our experience with Tea Collection was superb.  We met the owner of the company and shot for several days.  I cannot show you the images of them in their Tea Clothes until the catalogue comes our in the Spring of 2016, but I can assure you they looked über adorable.  The huge trailer was set with gourmet food and a staff that mastered the mentality of children.  It was a class A experience.  I promise all of you as soon as I get the green light I will post the images I got of them modeling.

Let me remind you I did this 10 days postpartum.  My husband rented us a three-story condo to make our stay comfortable.  San Francisco is a very special city and I felt it once again when I saw that gorgeous Golden Gate Bridge.

In the end, even when I don’t feel like it- I am inspired to get up in the morning (or these days, just wake from a brief nap for the fourth time in 24 hours) and do the same things I did yesterday, and will hopefully be blessed to be able to do tomorrow- to let the day take us through the ever-stretching roads and highways of life, daily hustle and bustle, twisting and curving many times unexpectedly- with the same bucket of caffeine and a few profanities in my unspoken mind. But still, a grin in my heart as I stare at my kids- all they know is joy, and this precious present moment; but Momma knows all of how much it took to get here!