As part of our ongoing ActiveMama Profile series, I had the opportunity to interview Kia, a mom of three who was introduced to me by a mutual friend. I’ve not had the opportunity to meet Kia, but our mutual friend believed her to be an inspiring and active mama, which I can definitely support after our email exchanges! You can follow along with Kia from her photography blog, website or on Twitter.
Kia introduces herself: I’m a 33yr old Mom of three – Ryder (4), Rowyn (2), and Renyck (5 mths). I absolutely love being a Mom and feel so lucky to get to stay home with my children every day.
My husband and I both grew up on the North Shore and feel blessed to be able to raise our children here too. Both of our sets of parents are also in North Van, so the kids get to see a lot of their grandparents; it’s awesome.
I’ve always had a camera in my hand. In elementary school, I used to set up little photo shoots in my parents’ backyard – I still remember my favourite ‘fruit bowl’ still life…hilarious. Don’t worry, I’ve come a long way since then. I just seem to ‘see’ things differently. Always looking for that spontaneous moment – that glance, that giggle, that snuggle…those little things that really capture a family. I feel so much love in my heart when I look at my own family photos, which makes me so excited to capture them for others.
What did you do to socialize or network with other moms when your kids were first born?
Kia: When my first child was born, none of my girlfriends were having kids yet. So, I was really lucky to have connected with the moms from my prenatal class. We shared so many stories/questions/drama via emails and also tried to meet for a walk or coffee every week. It was an amazing support group. In addition, I loved to get to as many library story times as possible and also enrolled in Mother Goose, infant massage, Kindermusik and Mom+Baby yoga. At times, it was stressful trying to get out of the house with a wee one, but it was always worth it. Fun and rejuvenating for the both of us.
That’s how I feel too! Do you still have a network of mom friends from this time – how has it changed or evolved?
My network of mom friends has changed a lot since the days of my first little guy. I don’t see the girls from my prenatal class anymore, but we do keep up to date on each other via social networking. It’s so fun to see how everyone’s family has grown and wow, how big the kids are now.
It’s amazing how ‘Mom friendships’ evolve and change over time. I have chosen to stay home with my kids, so as other Mom friends went back to work, it became increasingly difficult to make play dates and synch schedules. Naturally, friendships evolved with other moms that were also around during the week and could get together for play dates. Also, as my kids have made friends through playgroups and preschool, more new connections have formed with other parents. I feel so blessed to have a core group of Mom friends to share the ups and downs of everyday life with three kids. They are incredible women and incredible supporters.
How do you balance family, working full-time and also getting time to yourself or couple-time free from the kids?
“Balance”…this question made me laugh…This is truly the million dollar question. Some days I feel like I’ve got it dialed, others are just a struggle. I can definitely say that since having my third, it has become a lot harder to find that balance of work/family/play. I used to have ‘free time’ (lol) while my son was at preschool and my daughter was napping. A good 2 hrs of guilt free work, sometimes even accompanied by a latte…it was fabulous. Well, not so much the case anymore. Evenings are now when I do the bulk of my work. I joke that at 8pm every night, I get to go to my second job. It’s not ideal, and I often end up working until midnight, but it’s what is working for me right now. Most importantly, it’s what’s working best for the kids too.
I am really lucky to have an incredible husband. He is my ultimate supporter and the most phenomenal dad. He is so hands on with the kids and doesn’t think twice about taking all three kids out and about on his own. If I’m stressed to meet a deadline, he’s the first to gather the kids and head out so I can hunker down and work. I don’t like to miss out on family time though, so I try really hard to limit those situations.
As far as time to myself, it has taking me a long time to feel ok asking for ‘me time’. Now that things are a bit more busy on a day to day basis, I am much more comfortable, and grateful, for a little alone time. It usually takes the form of a run or swim, so not exactly ‘footloose and fancy free’, but it’s like pushing a reset button on your energy and patience…fabulous. Continue reading →
As part of our ongoing ActiveMama Profile series, I thought this would be a great opportunity for you to get to know ActiveMama’s contributing author, Jessica Liew. Jessica is one of my closest friends and an inspirational mother, always ready with an encouraging word or a smile. Aside from contributing here, Jessica and her husband also run a fabulous recipe blog, Tonight’s Dinner.
Here’s an introduction by Jessica Liew: I’m a 31-year-old teacher who happily lives an active lifestyle in the perfect place to get out and enjoy both community spirit and the outdoors: North Vancouver. I became a mother for the first time on December 11, 2009 just a few months shy of my 30th birthday. Zayden was a mellow, happy little guy from day one and has always enjoyed getting out and seeing new people and places, so he really helped me get to know our community much better than before. He’s 15-months-old now and loves going anywhere that he can walk freely. He’s also working on developing his vocabulary. His current favourite thing to do is look out the window for dogs and then make barking noises when he sees one.
After Zayden was born, you got out quickly with him. Was this intentional? Did you have things you planned to do to meet other moms?
Getting out of the house on a daily basis was not something I planned in advance; it was survival. I was very anxious (yay, crashing hormones!) for the first few weeks after Zayden was born, and getting dressed and going for a walk with the stroller everyday helped to ease those anxieties a bit. Once we got in that habit and Zayden got a little older, I started looking for more structured activities that we could enjoy together and made an effort to meet up regularly with the moms from our prenatal class.
Structured activities get a bad rap – I think they’re great! How has being back at work affected your connection with your mom network, if at all?
Being back at work has affected everything in my life including my relationships though not always in a negative way. It is definitely harder to find time to see everyone we would like to see when there are only two days on the weekend to do so, but we are never short for plans anymore. I am also lucky to have my summers off as a teacher, so I look forward to reconnecting with everyone in the summer months and enjoying the sunshine with an active toddler in tow.
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As part of our ongoing ActiveMama Profile series, I’d like to introduce you to Harriet Fancott, mom to 19-month Theo. Theo has always seemed a lot like Aiden to me – outgoing, adventurous and strong-willed. Just a few months older, I’ve enjoyed reading about Theo’s development on Harriet’s blog, See Theo Run, and on Twitter.
I had a chance to talk with Harriet by email about her experience as a mom and what life is like with a spiritied toddler. Here is what Harriet has to say by way of introduction:
Harriet: My husband Mark and I adopted our son Theo, now 19 months, at birth. We met his birthparents and their parents several times before his birth at the end of July 2009, perhaps the sweatiest summer on record. We have an open adoption, so we communicate by emails and spend time with his birth family several times a year. I blog about life as a multiracial, adoptive family at SeeTheoRun.com
What did you do to socialize or network with other moms when you first brought Theo home?
After all the hubbub of Theo’s arrival – the endless stream of visitors, the gifts, the food, the phone calls – subsided, I found a moms group through the local health clinic walking distance of my house that met weekly. The sessions were guided by a nurse and I learned about everything from sleep issues to introducing solids. Most importantly, a group of us began going out for coffee afterwards and have kept in touch ever since.
Most of the moms are back at work now, but we started a facebook group so we can connect quickly if anyone is off and wants to meet at Open Gym or The Aquarium. We also go out for dinner and drinks every couple of months. It was a little tricky for me at the beginning as I wasn’t breastfeeding and didn’t share the experience of labour, but as our children have grown, our concerns are almost all the same: sleep, food, activities, daycare – did I mention sleep and food ;) Because we are a mixed race family, I also get together with adoptive mothers so we can share our unique concerns around fitting into mainstream society, racism and how to talk about adoption.
I think it’s great that you put yourself out there like that at the moms group. I see a lot of moms go to these groups but who lack the courage to connect with the moms outside the group.
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To kick-off a new ActiveMama Profiles series, I’d like to introduce you to J. Karen Parker, mom to 6-month old Robert. I felt like I barely had a chance to know Karen before she moved from Vancouver to Edmonton, but we’ve followed each other online as our boys grow up. We even randomly ran into each other on my one trip to Edmonton last year. You can follow Karen on Twitter or her personal blog.
I had a chance to interview Karen by email about her experience as a first time mom, about being a mom in a new city and about her life as an “active mama”. First off, here’s what Karen has to say by way of introduction:
Karen: I’m in my early thirties and work as an IT consultant with a specialty in user experience. Before I went on mat leave (and simultaneously moved to Edmonton), I was working for a consulting firm in Vancouver. The plan, once I’m done my leave, is to continue working for the same company remotely from Edmonton. I am excited that the nature of my job gives me this opportunity!
My son Robert was born on August 15th, 2010 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. He’s our first baby, planned once we found out my partner Dan was going to be starting a job at the University of Alberta. We figured if we were going to uproot our lives and move cities (from Vancouver to Edmonton), why not throw another big life change into the mix? ;)
Did you find it difficult to get out as a new mom, after having so recently changed cities?
Not at all! I saw it as an opportunity for us to explore the city together. We chose to live in a very pedestrian-friendly area (Garneau) and, from the time Robert was just a couple days old, we’ve been going on outings and exploring our neighbourhood. We visit the farmer’s market, the library, the local recreation center, walk up and down Whyte Avenue and check out the shops, etc.
I am a frequent babywearer, which means I don’t have to worry about getting a stroller up and down stairs or into tight spaces. As the weather has gotten colder in Edmonton, though, I have been grateful for our stroller (the Chariot Cougar I) which is great on snow and ice and has an excellent wind cover. I also invested in really good cold weather clothes for both of us, so even when it’s well below zero (Robert’s snowsuit is rated to -30 celsius!), we aren’t cooped up at home.
I do miss wearing Aiden, to some degree! He hasn’t ever loved his stroller and is long-past liking the carrier. Enjoy it while you can!
How did you begin to socialize and network with other moms in your area?
I signed up for a few different organized activities right from the start. When Robert was about 4 weeks old, we started going to a “baby laptime” program at our local public library and also did a postnatal yoga session at a nearby yoga studio.
At the library program, we met several other local moms and babies who had a Facebook group for Edmonton parents and they invited us to join it. Since then, most of the activities I go to are through this group. Our babies range in age from just a few months old to almost two years old and we take turns hosting playdates and organizing meetups at local malls, rec centres, cafes, etc.
That sounds like an incredibly organized moms group! I know Facebook has been central to my own networking as a mom.
What kinds of things do you like to do with Robert during your week?
In addition to our mom group activities, recently Robert and I have been enjoying a parent and tot swim session at our local pool, and we attend strollercise at Edmonton’s Kinsmen Sports Centre at least once a week.
We also continue to attend weekly programs at our local library. We’re lucky that the Edmonton Public Library has several offerings for kids under one year old. So far we have attended three different programs: Baby Laptime, Books for Babies, and Sing Sign Laugh and Learn!
West Edmonton Mall is another prime destination – not only for shopping, but also for the theatre’s weekly Stars and Strollers offerings. I think I’ve seen more big screen movies in the past 6 months than I did in the two years before Robert was born.
And just like before baby arrived, I still love to go out for coffee! Transcend is our favourite neighbourhood coffee shop. A new play cafe also opened in Edmonton late last year and we have enjoyed a few visits there as well.
As someone who enjoys a cafe visit nearly every day, I’m glad to see you also enjoy that treat! It’s nice to have something that moms enjoy too. And I was lucky enough to also try Transcend while in Edmonton.
What do you think makes you an ‘Active Mama’, however you’d like to define the term?
Well, as you can see, we get out and do lots of things every week, so I’m ‘active’ in that regard.
I’m also ‘active’ in researching the choices I make for my baby, which has resulted in us choosing some slightly less common parenting choices (cloth diapering, babywearing, and baby led solids), but ones that we believe will be the best for our family.
Finally, I lived a fairly ‘active’ lifestyle before Robert was born – running, swimming, cycling, etc. – and am planning to continue to do as much of that as possible with my little one along for the ride! Currently we walk a lot, but other than that we’re pretty much limited to strollercise classes. However, once the weather is nicer, I look forward to jogging and cycling with Robert in his Chariot.
And chasing after a toddler before you know it!
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