Ready Moms Blog

Linked to Elizabeth Gregory's new book Ready: Why Women Are Embracing the New Later Motherhood, the Ready Moms blog explores the host of issues linked to birth timing in women's lives, and especially the effects of the trend to starting families later (by birth or adoption, at or after 35).

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Happy Mother's Day #100

Though my friend Ignatzia (not her real name) has issues with Mother's Day ("they do a bad job of breakfast and then feel proud of themselves while doing nothing for the rest of the year!"), I like it pretty well. I like the cut-out cards and the effort put into whatever gift they decide on this time, even if the gift itself languishes in the days thereafter (last year it was my fault because I asked for a camellia bush when I meant gardenia, and then wasn't interested enough in the resulting red plant with no particular smell to take it out of the pot).

But it's not a big deal. There's too much going on with two kids and two jobs in the house for anything to be too big of a deal for long -- minutes after it happens, we're on to the next thing. Another baseball game, another music lesson, another camp-out, another standardized test, another ailment, another meal, another play date. The backfield is always in motion when they're small.

My own mom will be getting flowers -- as a small token of my esteem. I'm glad of the chance to tell her I appreciate her hard work and big love. It was the chance to re-create that bond and the good times I remember from my childhood that made me want to become a mom myself. Hoping to pass it on.

For a more political angle on the dynamics and history of Mother's Day (this year is the centenary), see my recent Huffington Post piece: Mother's Day Born Yesterday: A Quick Century of Big Change for Modern Moms

Cheers!

Monday, May 5, 2008

Movies and Stars

Later moms are taking to the big screen this month and drawing a big crowd: even my mama has seen Baby Mama already. Nice to see Philadelphia (my home town) in the background there. I expect she'll be off to see Then She Found Me shortly.

The Hollywood news continues to feature birth timing -- see this recent Huffington Post piece on Cate and Halle and company for my take.