mothers of invention: selena
Monday, May 24th, 2010first name: Selena
age: 39
current city: Memphis area
living situation: I live with my husband, Paul, and my two sons, ages two and a half and four and a half.
occupation: I juggle a few projects to keep things interesting, but not a full-fledged “occupation.” I’m taking time to enjoy my boys while they’re young.
For the past three years, I’ve been volunteering on the Board of Directors for COMEC (The Commission on Missing & Exploited Children), the organization that issues Amber Alerts for the region and provides child safety programs and counseling for at-risk kids. Before motherhood, I was an event planner, caterer, and food service director, so I use my skills to plan fundraisers for COMEC. Our next event, the 4th Annual COMEC Treasure Hunt at the Pink Palace, is on Sunday, June 6th from 1-5. It’s the best pirate theme party in town and such a fun family-friendly event! Check out our COMEC Treasure Hunt Facebook event page or website, www.comec.org.
- Swashbucking fun at the 2008 COMEC Treasure Hunt
Recently, I started selling sponsorship ads for my friend Tran’s new TV show, Traveling with Tots, which airs on ABC 24 on June 26th at 6:30 a.m. I love that her production company is called Grumpy Pants Productions! It’s marketed to parents with young children, and such a great show!
I also help administer a group called Moms of the Midsouth. Groups like this are SO important! I joined when my first son was three months old and I was new to the area and had no family in town. This wonderful group of women gave me the support I needed to find myself as a mother. I’ve made some very dear friends and enjoyed playgroups and “moms’ night out” events. I’m also a member of the meetup.com “Moms N Munchkins” group. Networking with other moms has been my lifeline! I adore my two book club groups with these women, since we need to make sure we can actually have some discussions that involve topics other than babies, childbirth and potty training.
how do you structure your time and space? I’ve never been good at organizing my projects. If there’s a way to feel on top of everything and be the superwoman of paperwork, it eludes me! I consider it a huge step that I now have a small accordion folder to trap the donation request letters, event fliers and project papers I’m working with. I carry it around with me, and make calls when I have time. We’re always on the go, and busy ourselves with play dates, trips to the zoo, Kindermusik, and activities. I make my best phone calls in the parking lot of the preschool waiting to pick up my older son, while my little one sleeps in the van. Having a home office doesn’t work for me. When I need to tackle really important tasks, I depend on my friends. We’ve worked out a “swap sitting” plan where we depend on one another when we have appointments or just need a few hours to ourselves.
using the metaphor of seasons to describe the phases of women’s lives,
-what are the particular challenges and highlights of your current season? I’m in the springtime of motherhood. My boys are young and are constantly surprising me with silly observations and amazing me with things they’re learning (and teaching me!). I enjoy the new projects I’m working on and everything is fresh and blooming!
-What season(s) preceded this one? I feel like we hibernated during a very long winter. I had my little ones close together, and there was a long period where I was the momma bear, cuddling up with my babies in a cave, nursing them and protecting them from the cold. Now they’re young boys, full of energy, wanting to run around in the sun! I am constantly chasing them, wondering how to keep up, and watching them grow at warp speed.
-What season(s) might your future hold? I love working with COMEC, and I enjoy making a difference in such a small organization. I plan to get my master’s degree and officially find my way back into the workforce when the kids are both in school. I’d love to figure out what I want to be “when I grow up” to fill out the rest of the seasons.
Favorite family activity/activities: My husband and I love those weekends where we have no obligations or plans, and we can goof off and play with the kids, do small projects around the house, and just relax. The best times are those spent outside while the kids play at home, riding their bikes, playing in the sand, or running through the sprinkler. I spent Mother’s Day in my backyard playing with a toy golf set, teaching the kids how to hit the ball, and taking cute pics as they ran around the trees and picked leaves for me as gifts. All the while, my husband grilled steaks! It doesn’t get any better than that!
favorite solo activities: I love reading and catching up with friends on the computer, and I’m a sucker for playing word games with my friends on Facebook. I’m a word nerd! I also spend lots of time editing pics and making little movies of my kids on my new Flip camera.
sources of inspiration: My husband is the most amazing best friend and father! He won me over in high school with his humor, intelligence and smile, and 24 years later, I’m more in love than ever!
Growing up, my grandparents gave me strength and were there for me. My mother was a troubled teen and she could have used the kind of assistance that COMEC provides. I remember she had struggles with substance abuse when I was a child, and I was fortunate to have wonderful grandparents to depend on. I wish I could say that my story is “unique” but this kind of situation is far too common. I was extremely lucky though, since so many children do not have that kind of family support.
I recently heard Len Edwards, our COMEC Executive Director, speak at my Mother’s of Preschoolers Group, and he said, “You can’t save them all, but you can save one child at a time.” I take this message to heart when I think of how we can all make a difference in our own way.
Last but not least, my children inspire me every time I look into their eyes. I am so grateful to have them!
best MakeShift moment: I was on the phone once trying to secure a sponsorship donation, and I had used all manner of bribery to quiet my children. My four-year-old had a “problem” in the potty and called out for me. I helped him out as quietly as possible while continuing with my conversation. My son was so sweet, whispering and trying to be as quiet as a mouse. Just as we were finishing, my younger one came up to me with a FULL diaper and I changed it like a pro, never dropping the phone. I am proud of that moment, yet I hate to admit that I once dropped my cell phone in the toilet while assisting my squirmy three year old with his “duties.”
for more about the COMEC treasure hunt on sunday, june 6, check out: http://comec.org/4th-annual-comec-treasure-hunt-on-sunday-june-6th-2010.html.
check out http://comec.org/programs.html for more about COMEC.
[if you know someone who would make a good “mothers of invention” feature, check out the nomination process details on the sidebar to your right.]
