Monday, March 26, 2012

Mom to Mom: I'll Take The Butterflies

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I remember being in my apartment at college my second year and looking at a Victoria’s Secret magazine with my best friend. I wasn’t attending school that year because I was “working” *cough, cough* partying full time while waiting for my report-no-later-than-date for Air Force basic training.  We were dog-earing pages that displayed the gorgeous ten foot women donning business pants that made their legs go on forever and a tight sporty jacket they modeled with no blouse and a can’t-push-these-guys-up-any-higher-bra. Even though I was pretty sure this “business casual” outfit wouldn’t be allowed in a corporate setting, we still (in our 5’6” and 5’8” frames) visualized flaunting these suits one day while walking down the hallways of high rise corporate buildings and earning our top dollar salaries. My dreams would be slightly delayed as I had just signed a six year enlistment with the United States Air Force.  A college drop-out and future Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) wearing 19 year old, I secretly envied my best friend who I was leaving behind in the greatest college town on earth.  I just knew she would go on to live sexy in the city, giving Carrie Bradshaw a run for her money while I was up to my bootstraps in airplane grease. Years into my enlistment, while (eh hem, obviously) rocking the camouflage look, I was still dreaming of the corporate suits and killer stilettos.


In 2007 I got my chance to go corporate when I decided to trade in my BDUs for civilian clothes, resumes, and interviews.  Alas, the time had come when I thought I’d be opening up that VS magazine once again! But, God had a different plan. Life led me to opt for a job in my second passion (next to photography) which was fitness. I became a personal trainer and office manager at an amazing personal training studio in northern Delaware. After about a year working there, I received an unexpected offer from one of my clients who was the president of a well known national trust company. When he offered me twice as much money (with benefits) as I was making as a personal trainer to take an open position they had at the company, I couldn’t turn it down. My husband and I were getting married soon and needed the money and security that this opportunity would offer. Sad to leave my fitness job, but excited to start a long time dream, I went all out. I got a stylish new hair cut and shopped for those fashionable business suits. I shopped at Ann Taylor rather than Vicky’s just because I had grown a modest gene in the last few years and was still only 5’8”.

Well, we all know how this story goes. I lasted all of two years at my job with the trust company before I had Addisyn and my dreams of climbing the corporate ladder were replaced with the reality of being up to my elbows in burp clothes and bottles.  Although it was a career I never once dreamt of, it turned out to be a career move that fit me to a tee; literally and figuratively. I was fine replacing the suit and stilettos with jeans, chucks, and a t-shirt, but even more pleased with my daily job requirements.

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This past Tuesday I was able to walk around a beautiful plot of land at Longwood Gardens. I watched my daughter and her friend, Demetri, run around and discover new things, race through garden paths, and even stare down hissing ducks. The day was a day that could have been out of a dream, only I never dreamt it. I was living it! And, the fact that I was living it, made me very grateful for my career move. I’m pretty sure I even repeated to my friend several times that I love my stay-at-home-mom (SAHM) gig!

It's true that being a SAHM is not all about walks in the garden and wearing perfectly comfy clothes. There are many days when my daughter, brain, body, and subconscious all gang up on me and give me an initiation beat down as if to say, “Welcome to the hood…MOTHERHOOD!” Those days are appropriately classified under the nightmare column.  I blog about those days on here as well, but my inspiration this week comes from flowery goodness, cute toddler noses sniffing on bright yellow flowers, picnics complete with naked piggy toes, and a day so perfect that it felt like God designed it just for me and Addisyn.  

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Carrie Bradshaw once said, “When it comes to relationships, maybe we're all in glass houses, and shouldn't throw stones. Because you can never really know. Some people are settling down, some are settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than Butterflies..."

I think this is true with jobs too. Me?... I’ll take the butterflies :-)


With Love,

Stacy   

*I went a little crazy with the pics at this place. But I really couldn't resist getting these two cuties in the most beautiful place in PA.
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Warning: Hissing duck below
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I didn't let her eat them. Promise.
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*Future GQ model
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*the sun is in her eyes or as she would say, "Momma lights hot!"
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Okay, that is better :-)
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*I think this is one of two pics when they actually looked at the camera.
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Picnic time!
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One of my fav photos of the day! It looks like they are enjoying a date :-)
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I mean, come on! Cutest face ever right?
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**
If you are in the Delaware or surrounding areas and would like to attend a workshop I am having for aspiring photographers and photo enthusiasts, please register at my workshop site at the link below.


www.theworkshop.stacyhartphotography.com

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