Adding the “athlete” designation to our list of roles as women is both a privilege and an accomplishment. I sometimes add “princess” to my list because I cannot stand uneven and/or chipped nails.  My husband selflessly preserved my fresh manicure by making sure that the air pressure in my tires was correct for my weight, then cleaning and oiling the gears and chains of my beloved Dolce racing bike.

Just to let you know, I’m about to start singing…very loudly. Join with me if you know the song, and I know you do.

There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And its time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all…

As Mother’s Day 2012 approaches, we have to ask, is the Women’s Movement moving backwards?

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“The Spring Festival is next Friday, Mom. You’re home on Thursdays, so you can help me bake a cake for this year’s Cake Decorating Contest!”

This request (or declaration?) came from my 10 year old daughter last week. In years past, my contribution to the Spring Festival has been limited to a 2 liter of soda, while I watch in appreciation as the other parents organize the festival and work the booths. But, I just didn’t have the heart to tell her no this year because I feel like she’s heard “no” more often than “yes” lately.

Who spends the most time with your children besides you?  Their teachers!  Think about it.  Whether you have kids in elementary school, middle school or high school, your children are spending hours each day learning from their teachers.

National Teacher Day is coming up May 8 and it’s also getting close to the end of the school year. End of year appreciation luncheons, class parties and teacher appreciation weeks are all coming up in just a few weeks. It’s time to start preparing now.  

“Watch out for Balls” reads the sign in the private, ocean-front, golf-course that I pass through on my weekly long runs. In addition to posting a sensible fear, this sign is also a signal for me to literally speed up.  My mom’s best friend was once struck in the hand by a golf-ball as she ran through this course. Her hand swelled and was black and blue for weeks.

We all know that motherhood is a constant juggling act. Between sports practice, school activities, homework and our constantly-buzzing Blackberries, it’s no small miracle when we’re able to get dinner on the table. But just because things don’t always go the way we planned (ok, they rarely go the way we planned) doesn’t mean we can’t stop to enjoy a MomWin: those brief, shining moments when we get it perfectly, shockingly and magically right—or when you just have to laugh that it went wrong. 

As the saying goes, “it takes a village to raise a child”—and during my recent trip to northern Mozambique with Save the Children, I saw just how true that is in the village of Nacala.