London and my Mom

So... I'm just back from London, likely a bit jet-lagged, hence my late night propensity for blogging... First, today, I realized that I'm never going to be disciplined enough to be a regular blogger, but, I also realized that someday, I'd like to show my daughter these blogs, and that was reason to continue on, despite my inability to blog even close to "regularly".

On to London. I had a fantastic time while there. I was of course, there for work, and that part went great. I had my first corporate speaking engagement, which resulted in both a job offer from a competitor, and interest from potential clients, which my boss overheard, so career-wise, the trip was a complete success. On a personal level, this being my first trip to London, I absolutely loved it. The people were friendly, gracious, and helpful. The history and architecture were so astounding and overwhelming, there were honestly moments where I was speechless. However, the overarching theme of my trip was "wow, I really think my daughter needs to live here for a while." I have never doubted the love I feel for my daughter - in fact, I often find myself in shock just how much I've completely given my life over to hers. It's never "what's going to be the best for my future?" any longer, now my entire life honestly revolves around "what's going to be the best for my daughter?" Just as my parents felt for me. In fact, my year living in NYC is commonly refereed to as "Grad School" in my family, as my parents financed most of the year's adventures.

I had some "thinking time" on the flight from JFK (I had a connection, and I honestly slept the entire flight from LHR to JFK), and I again was drawn back to the reverence I feel about my mom these days. Here was a woman who quite literally got up every day at quarter to four, just so she could be off work in time to pick me up from school. My parents, who never missed a dace recital, or a piano recital, or a sporting event, but it was my mom who also made sure that I had a clean uniform (for both school and sports), the perfect costume, that our house was clean, that dinner was cooked and on the table, and all the while, the woman was busy building airplanes from 9-5. Really made me think about the fact that I can barely keep my house clean with the help of a housekeeper and a full time nanny (who, I believe I've mentioned before, is my mom). Don't get me wrong - my father was the big-shot executive who I've desperately attempted to model my career after, and who has received many a phone call when I've been faced with a business or corporate situation that requires far more experience than I possess, and it's my dad who's bailed me out of more "dad, I'm so sorry, I had no idea my Bloomingdale's card had gotten so high" situations, and I owe the man everything about my golf game. But, the fact is, when it comes to keeping our house in line, my dad and I would agree, we owe it all to mom.

Bottom line I guess (and honestly not where I thought this blog was going), is that I realized this week, more than ever, is I am a successful, motivated, working mom, my husband and my daughter love me, and frankly, couldn't live without me. But... that fact pales in comparison to the fact that I was raised by Super Woman. I have big shoes to fill, and while I'm trying to get closer every day, I know that if I'm lucky, I will get close, but I'll never surpass my mom.

2.5 years later?

So... the whole "blog" idea never really took off. Funny how a newborn, who becomes a baby, who becomes a toddler, can suck up so much of your free time. What's transpired in the last 30 months? Well, a lot, and then again, not much at all...

I have a beautiful, intelligent, funny, charming 2.5 year old best friend, I still work in corporate marketing, and my husband is still running a fairly successful business. We have 3 dogs (my angel Lilly passed away in February of this year, but that's a post for a different day...), Charlie, Bobo and Daisy Duke. 330 lbs of dog in our tiny little house, combine that with my husband and myself, and your have a lot of weight pushed around by a 35 lb toddler.

Speaking of my darling little girl - I have to say, the most amazing occurrence of my 29+ years, is my all-out love for this tiny little bundle of crazy. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband dearly, my family means the world to me, and I treat my girlfriends like sisters, but none of that compares to the tiny little person who has completely consumed my life. She's by far the funniest person I've ever met, as stubborn as people have always claimed I am, and just about the most beautiful human being on the planet. I know I sound like any other suburban housewife, but trust me, this kid is going places. Big places.

Tonight, I type this re-visit to my little blog from a hotel room in LA. I'm sure that there a several quite fabulous people staying under my same roof, but tonight, I was quite content to stay in my room, have a glass of wine, and catch up on the summer movie schedule I'd missed. And now, I sit typing at nearly midnight, because Suzy-Independent can't sleep without her little girl and zoo on location.

I still travel the world, I still get to feel like an important business-contributor from 9-5, but 2.5 years since my last little diatribe, I feel decades more grown-up, and ready to tell a story that may actually be worth hearing.