Elusive Mamacorn

My blogs

About me

Gender Female
Occupation Connector and Communicator
Location Snowy Minnesota, United States
Introduction I used to introduce myself by my profession -- a career I loved until it dissolved via major corporate restructure. A break from office drama and email gave me new perspective. When I took the time to watch, I could see that my kids do and say the most amazing things! (And, my husband's pretty awesome, too.) Now, I'm prioritizing real mama engagement and enjoying our adventures, from trying desperately to get us all out the door in the morning, to sports, school, vacations and letters to Santa. I want to be part of it all. I want to be distracted BY my kids, not FROM my kids. I want to dive in completely and lose myself in their world, especially when that means putting a cone-shaped, fallen piece of pinata on my head and galloping around the forest while making (what I assume might be) unicorn sounds. The Elusive Mamacorn is all-in. She doesn't care if her hair isn't right or the house is messy. She takes "being on time" with a grain of salt. And, she lives in the moment. Heck, when you're an Elusive Mamacorn, you sort of get to make the rules. I choose to have a rollicking good time.
Interests My kiddos, of course! S is a super-smart, sweet, funny fourth grader. A is an adventurous, enthusiastic, highly entertaining six-year-old. Our adventures are legendary.
Favorite Movies I used to love psychological thrillers (and still do, occasionally). Mamahood brought a new depth of feeling to my world -- along with a fair amount of paranoia, I suppose -- and I became a fan of almost everything that's cheesy, sappy, happy, hopeful, funny and wise. We watch a whole lot of princess movies and animated adventures. Just like every American HH w kids, Frozen took over our TV and our playroom. (Oh, who's kidding whom? Every room in our house is a playroom.) S and I are reading the Harry Potter series aloud together, and I'm loving every minute of it! We eagerly await the end of each book, so we can see how the movie brings the story to life differently. I love hearing him point out inconsistencies between each book and movie, and speculating about why it changed in the theatrical version. We've embraced "a galaxy far, far away" more deeply than is healthy. We have a Star Wars Room, where you can always find tiny characters, poised for a re-imagined Jedi battle. We love the movies, TV shows, games and toys. Lego Star Wars is a part of every gift-giving holiday. Both kiddos are now Padawans, through near-religious participation in the Jedi Training experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios. We've enjoyed family "trips" through Star Tours more times than family visits to the library. I'm not saying it's the wisest parenting move, but the "Jedi Way" aligns nicely with what we'd like your kids to learn in life: stand up for what matters; embrace good/kindness/compassion; avoid anger/greed/fear; and train to be your best. I'm OK with being a Jedi mom. So far, my young Padawans are turning out to be pretty awesome humans!
Favorite Music I like a little bit of everything. My true favorites are Janice Joplin and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and I have a ton of respect for singer/songwriter talent. That said, I'll rock out to everything from Kidz Bop to KISS, with stops in between to enjoy Beatles and the great ladies of early jazz.
Favorite Books The Little Prince tops my list, along with books that have been part of emotional connections with my kids. We read "Baby, Oh Baby, the Places You'll Go; a Book to be Read in Utero" to each of them when they were growing in my belly, and I still enjoy reading almost any Seussian tale aloud. Sandra Boynton created some of my board book favorites, which I still revisit every once in a while during our bedtime routine. I love kids' books that show real families -- diverse families. I like books (from board books to YA novels) that show my kids characters and families they can relate to, even if their geography or ethnicity or socioeconomic status is wildly different from ours. I celebrate books that show families brought together from different far-flung regions of the world, families where grandparents are primary caregivers, families with two moms or two dads, families that represent every color of the cultural rainbow. These books give us an opportunity to live for a moment in someone else's reality. They help us to see different perspectives, as well as common interests. They give my kids the impetus to ask some pretty deep questions in a safe environment. And, they allow us to grow closer as we learn about others, and about ourselves.

Try making up the rules to a game where you tie knots in a yo-yo string just to see if you can get them out:

Favorite food as a kid? I loved crab legs and clarified butter, which I tasted at my parents' anniversary dinner (after the babysitter cancelled at the last minute).