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WorkingMoms

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This post is a part of a blog series of stories of working moms. I’m excited to share 13 stories from real working mothers. I also really would like to hear YOUR story and I’d love to hear it. Keep the conversation going in the comments & on social media using #wellcraftedworkingmoms. A huge thank you to the women who volunteered to share their stories, Mary Boyden of Mamma Bear Magazine for her photography and Madeline Roosevelt for hair and makeup!

 

I’m very excited to share this story today. I met Tina the day we did the photoshoot for this story. She radiates happiness—or, at least she did that day and in her words below. She tells her story in such a beautiful way. She shares about a song in part of the interview, I linked to the song, I’d highly recommend playing the song in the background as you are reading her words. Get a good cry out today.

Meet Tina, a working mom

Tina Lee and her husband of six years were high school sweethearts who started dating nearly 15 years ago. Tina had the couple’s first child, Austin, is almost three years old when she was 27 years of age. She is currently expecting another child (“girl?boy?Your guess is as good as mine!”) by the end of June. She plans on working up to the last week of her pregnancy as she did the first time around.

 

Working Mom: Pharmacist & Mother of 1 with one on the way - A Well Crafted Party, photos by Momma Bear Magazine

 

Four days a week Tina works as an ambulatory care clinical pharmacist for a large healthcare system here in Portland. She isn’t the kind of pharmacist that you see behind the counter at your local neighborhood drugstore, instead you’ll find her stationed at a primary care doctor’s office. She generally works with diabetic adults and those who are at high risk for heart attack or stroke. She helps patience optimize their medication regimens to reach their goals.

“People are surprised when I tell them that much of my work often has little to do with adjusting medications, and more to do with empowering patients to make changes with their diet and lifestyle to become healthier,” Tina says of her job,”I work closely with doctors, nurses, dietitians and others as a team to take care of our patients.”

She continues, “I LOVE my job. It’s the perfect mix of using my left and right brains. This has been my dream job since the day I started pharmacy school.”

(See why I like this gal!?!)

 

A typical work day in the life of a pharmacist mother of one and one on the way

 

 

“I’m a procrastinator, so I refuse to get up a minute earlier than I need to,” says Tina of her day.

She typically gets up at 6:30 AM and takes about ten minutes to throw on her day’s outfit and get cleaned up and ready to go. Her son often wakes at 7 AM and then next half hour is dedicated to getting him ready— “the half hour between 7 and 7:30 becomes a huge blur of teeth-brushing, dressing, and eating breakfast.”

 

 

Working Mom: Pharmacist & Mother of 1 with one on the way - A Well Crafted Party, photos by Momma Bear Magazine

She leaves the house around 7:30 am to go to work and her husband walks their son to daycare as it is close to their home. She usually works eight to five so she gets daycare pick-up duty. She makes dinner while Thomas the Tank Engine or other entertaining character fills her television screen until six. The family eats dinner together and then play until around 8 PM when they begin the bedtime routine with the goal of getting Austin to bed between 8:30 to 9 PM.

After bedtime Tina begins prepping for the following day (meals, laundry, etc.), completes chores, enjoys Netflix and a shower with her bedtime hitting around midnight. Two days a week her mother-in-law comes to her house to watch Austin making those days more relaxed since they don’t have to worry about the drop-off and pick-up schedule.

 

When my kids are adults and look back at their childhood, I want them to know…

Tina shared a touching story as to what she hoped her kids look back and think about her as a working mother:

A few weeks ago, I took a picture of my new office and sent it to my husband, who was home with my sick child. Being almost three, he immediately launched into questions, which went something like this (according to my husband):
Austin: “What’s mommy need to work right there for?”
Daddy: “Mommy is helping people”
Austin: “What’s mommy helping people for?”
Daddy: “Because she likes it, and that’s her job.”

 

 

Maternity Leave, Childcare & Mom Guilt… oh MY!

 

I absolutely had to ask a few questions about some of the topics that often come up for the working mom such as maternity leave, childcare, and the challenges & joys of working. I love the answers so much that I felt it was best to just put it in their own words. Read on to learn about the ups, downs, ins and outs of Erin’s working mom experience!

 

This post is a part of a blog series of stories of the working mother. I’m excited to share 13 stories from real working moms. I also really would like to hear YOUR story and I’d love to hear it. Keep the conversation going in the comments & on social media using #wellcraftedworkingmoms. A huge thank you to the women who volunteered to share their stories, Mary Boyden of Mamma Bear Magazine for her photography and Madeline Roosevelt for hair and makeup!

 

Missy Maki is a force of nature. I met her about two and a half years ago this month at a blogger brunch at a local restaurant. New mother to twins she was seriously just rocking life. I remember being in awe of her… and then she amazed me even more by being so kind and genuine.

Her story resonates with me because I identify with her ambition and drive. I’m very excited to get to introduce her to you today!

Meet Missy, a working mom

 

Missy Maki is an Advance Maternal Age mommy. She and her husband, a high school teacher and basketball coach, welcomed her 2 1/2 year old twins  (boy & girl) into this world after a five year battle with infertility. She was 42 at the time. She worked before, during and after pregnancy.

Nailing down a single title for Missy would pretty much be impossible. She has several careers. Monday through Friday she is the regional sales director in the hospitality industry where she oversees seven properties, 14 sales people and over 200 employees. She has worked in her field for over twenty years. In addition to her sales director career she is a radio host for KPAM AM 860. “Simple Kitchen with Missy Maki” is a local food and lifestyle show that has been on the air for over four years and is currently one of the top downloaded podcasts in Portland. In addition to her regional sales director career and her radio host career Missy writes a blog (check out her website Mrs. Maki Cooks), emcees and stage hosts events and has been on several panel discussions in the food industry.

She puts her many careers into simple terms, “I love food. I love people. I love being a progressive employer.”

 

Portrait of a Working Mom: Radio Host, Regional Sales Manager & Mother of Twins

A typical work day in the life of a regional sales director, radio host and mother of twins

A typical work day for Missy isn’t so much typical as in the same thing every day. However, she makes efforts to abide by a schedule when possible and sets in family time.

“Every day is different,”she says.

On Mondays Missy tries to focus on projects at home if possible, while Tuesday through Friday she tries to be downtown by 9 a.m. She has an office in her home, in downtown Portland and a studio in Milwaukee for her radio show. She often attends new restaurant openings, host food related events and attend meetings. After 8 PM and weekends, other than Sunday mornings when she is live on the air, are family time.

Portrait of a Working Mom: Radio Host, Regional Sales Director & Mother of Twins

 

When my kids are adults and look back at their childhood, I want them to know…

“This is an old one, and you hear it a lot.  But I want my children to see that women do not have to walk away from their dreams, goals, and position in the marketplace to become a mother,” Missy explains.

” Yes, you CAN do and have it all.  But you have to wake up every day with intention.  Clear and focused intention.”

 

Maternity Leave, Childcare & Mom Guilt… oh MY!

 

I absolutely had to ask a few questions about some of the topics that often come up for the working mom such as maternity leave, childcare, and the challenges & joys of working. I love the answers so much that I felt it was best to just put it in their own words. Read on to learn about the ups, downs, ins and outs of Erin’s working mom experience!

 

This post is a part of a blog series of stories of the working mom. I’m excited to share 13 stories from real working mothers. I also really would like to hear YOUR story and I’d love to hear it. Keep the conversation going in the comments & on social media using #wellcraftedworkingmoms. A huge thank you to the women who volunteered to share their stories, Mary Boyden of Mamma Bear Magazine for her photography and Madeline Roosevelt  for hair and makeup! 

 

I met Erin a few years ago through an acquaintance and was thrilled when she volunteered to be a part of the working mom project. Getting to read through her experiences has really been a joy. I hope you enjoy getting to know Erin and reading about her experiences as a working mom!

Meet Erin, a working mom

 

Erin Rhodes is a wife of eight years, a mother of two children and a teacher. Her daughter is three years old and her son will be turning three months old this week. She also has a fur baby of nearly five years, a Basenji. Erin and her husband had trouble conceiving and then experienced two high risk pregnancies. She considers her children true blessings.

She said that she is absolutely living her dream.

“I love that I am living my dreams everyday.  Ever since I can remember I had three dreams, 1- be a wife 2- be a mom 3- be a teacher.  Now that I have it all I get to live it all everyday!”

 

Portrait of a Working Mom: Teacher & Mother of Two

A typical work day in the life of a teacher and mother of two

 

A typical work day for Erin Rhodes begins at five in the morning where she gets a little ‘me’ time before the family wakes as she gets ready for her day. She likes to arrive to the school where she teaches third graders by 6 AM so that she can leave as close to 3:30 as possible. She takes advantage of her ability to work better in the mornings when fresh rather than later in the day when feeling drained.

“I try and get our dog out for a run before picking up the kids.  This is great for her as well as me.  I love this transition time, where again I get to just be me and decompress from being a teacher and prepare myself for ‘mom’.”

 Portrait of a Working Mom: Teacher & Mother of Two

 

After her run she picks up her kids by 5 in the evening and begins the family dinner, play, bedtime routine. Steve, her husband, works three to four nights a week and on those evenings she does the night time routine on her own. She typically gets her daughter ready for bed first and then puts her son down for the evening while her oldest reads books. She then turns off her daughter’s light and calls it a day. At the time of this interview Erin had yet to do the work and nighttime routine for both kids as she was on maternity leave.

 

When my kids are adults and look back at their childhood, I want them to know…

 

“That they can have it all too.”

Erin had a fantastic example of a working mother and she feels that that example has helped share how she hopes her children look back on her working.

“I remember my mom worked a full time job my entire childhood, even traveled for several years.  Because of this she we were able to go on vacations and live in a nice house.  I also remember that she made time to take me to soccer practice and came to all my band concerts and plays.  She made time for the special assemblies and field trips.”

Her working now has helped her understand her mother a little better as well, “I never understood why she hated the question ‘What’s for dinner?’ right as she walked through the door at night…now I totally do.”

Erin continued,”I want my kids to remember me working how I remember her working.  That it is possible to follow a passion and provide a great life for your family, while still being there for the important moments.  I want them to know that my passion for my job doesn’t take away from my passion for them.”

 

Maternity Leave, Childcare & Mom Guilt… oh MY!

 

I absolutely had to ask a few questions about some of the topics that often come up for the working mom such as maternity leave, childcare, and the challenges & joys of working. I love the answers so much that I felt it was best to just put it in their own words. Read on to learn about the ups, downs, ins and outs of Erin’s working mom experience!