#RealMomShit: She was working 3 jobs and still crushing the mom game before quarantine started. She loves a good wine, makes a killer microwaved hot dog and has gained a new perspective since all of this world craziness begun.

How many kids do you have and what ages?

I have 2 little girls, Diem – 3.5 and Franki (Francesca) – 1.5

You’re a career driven mom with 3 jobs. How do you manage to work, be a hands-on parent and make sure to take “me” time?

Oh boy, I’m not sure what I was thinking at the beginning of 2020. I decided to step down from my very secure 9 – 5 job and start my own business. In order to get things going, I took a part-time job as a sales and marketing manager of my local gym and then worked on my own business during the remaining hours of the week. I taught spin classes a couple of times per week as my “me” time. Spin was something special to me that let me interact with a bunch of like-minded people and grow my community in a very healthy way. I’d love to say that I was balancing it all and rocking the mom role as well, but that would be a big fat lie. There have been many stressful weeks and guilty mom cries over the last few months but I‘ve taken things one day at a time and tried to not let the long-term business focus get the best of me.

How’s the “threenager” stage going?

My. God. I never thought someone would step into my life and cut me so deep with their words. I’m quite confident my 3.5-year-old is already smarter than me…. she knows how to manipulate me. The other day she told me “Mommy, you really make the best Macoronis” followed up with a “You are no longer my best friend and we will not cuddle tonight” when I told her we were out of ketchup. This emotional rollercoaster is a daily occurrence. By the time she goes to bed, I’m truly questioning if I’m a good person or not. Sooooo perhaps it’s going well? Is this normal? I’m not sure… that’s the one thing about parenting – you are never sure.

Do your two girls get along? What does a typical day look like these days during this new quarantine life? 

My youngest loves pissing off my older daughter. She absolutely loves it. They fricken battle. I’m quite confident that if I let them go at it, it would be a battle to the death. If they are both fed, outside, wearing the footwear that they feel is correct for that day, and the wind is blowing from the North East at approximately 11KMph, then yes they will get along very well.

Has quarantine made you gain a different perspective on parenting after being stuck inside with your children? What are your top 3 pros and cons of being quarantined with kids

Quarantine has given me a ton of perspective. Mostly, I’ve learned about how much I’ve been missing. I joke about my kids being tough and whiney but they truly are the light of my life. They show me so much about the world and myself that I never knew.

My pros:

• Seeing them hit a new milestone. New words, skills (riding bikes), or just them growing into themselves.
• Those little people conversations. My daughter has told me all about her imaginary friend. I’ve picked out outfits for them and tucked them both into bed for nap time together. I love seeing her use her imagination.
• Getting to be a kid again. Playing hide and seek, making mud pies, colouring. At the end of the day when I have to jump on Zoom for work covered in dirt with twigs in my hair, I’m feeling pretty awesome.

The Cons:

• When it’s a bad day, it’s a BAD day. My kids feed off my energy and if I can’t get out of a funk, the whole day with them takes a turn for the worst. There’s no calling up Grandma and Grandpa to take over and let me work through my mood, so we just let it be a bad day sometimes.
• My husband is an essential worker which means that I’m home alone 10 – 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. Sometimes, I like to talk to adults but FaceTime or Zoom just doesn’t always fill that void.
• Sometimes I just want to pee alone. My daughter’s do not think that’s necessary and would like to have full conversations when I simply want to make a bowel movement.

I hear you make some pretty elaborate meals. What is your go-to meal for kids? 

Cercle Chaude Chien

1. Microwave a chicken dog for 30 – 45 seconds
2. Cut so that the dog now forms circles (3.5 year olds only like food in circle shapes and will starve themselves if you do not abide by this rule)
3. Throw a banana on there so you don’t feel like a bad parent

VOILA!

I’m a terrible cook. My husband is Italian and rocks the kitchen for our family.

Any advice to new moms or moms who are currently struggling to be home with their toddlers?

You do You!

What works for one mom may not work for another. Are you tired? The day just isn’t going right? Microwave that damn hot dog, pour that glass of wine, and cry in the bathroom…. ALL GOOD!