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You Are Not Just A Mother, You Are YOU First!
by Tonya Ramsey

Mothers face many challenges in today’s world. They carry the responsibility of many roles. Through these roles we become different things to different people. Sometimes we get divided over having a career and having a families or find conflict between the different jobs that we try to do. Making the question “Who am I?” even harder to answer.

It grows harder because mothers see this little person that looks up at them with innocent trusting eyes, mommy is everything to that little one. She makes the hurt from boo-boos go away with a kiss, chases the monsters from under the bed away, and rocks them after a bad dream. Every mother takes that responsibility and carries it with her no matter where she goes. It is an awesome responsibility of caring for this wonderful little person and being mom is always on the mind. As much as it is wonderful to revel in mommyhood, we still need to remember that being a mother is just one part of us, the more we allow ourselves to see who we are the better examples we can set for our children to leading a balanced life.

As a mother, I have struggled to find my own identity. I am a mother, a wife, a daughter, a business owner, a sister, a friend…..but who am I? It is easy to define yourself by what you do and what you mean to other people. As we take on these different roles our own identity gets blurred. It is harder to make the distinction. Who am I if I am not Logan’s mom or Ben’s wife?

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Top News Headlines from CNN

U.S. seizes two mortgage giants
Federal officials today announced an extraordinary takeover of troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, signaling the most dramatic move to date aimed at shoring up the nation's housing market. Freddie and Fannie own half the mortgage debt in the country. Since last summer, they have suffered about $12 billion in losses.
Sunday Sep 7th, 10:24 AM

Hurricane Ike churns toward Cuba
Hurricane Ike's high wind and intense rain moved over the Turks and Caicos Islands today as the Category 4 storm followed a track that should take it to eastern Cuba by this evening. "The damage is pretty huge," a reporter in Grand Turk said. Residents of the Florida Keys were ordered to evacuate this morning; tourists were told to leave Saturday.
Sunday Sep 7th, 9:26 AM

Candidates claim to be agents of change
As Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain enter the homestretch of campaigning, each is trying to make the case that his ticket is the only one that will bring about change.
Sunday Sep 7th, 8:09 AM

Canadian PM dissolves Parliament
Read full story for latest details.
Sunday Sep 7th, 7:49 AM

Traffic accident leads to fatal Iraq blast
At least six people were killed and 50 wounded after a suicide car bomber staged a traffic accident as a tactic to draw more victims into the explosion.
Sunday Sep 7th, 6:32 AM


Food from NPR

Finding Answers To The School Lunch Test
It can be tough to find that happy middle ground between whole-grain pasta with veggies that won't get eaten, and marshmallow creme on white bread that will. But Betsy Block, mother of two school-age kids, has a plan for packed lunches.
Tuesday Sep 2nd, 8:50 PM

'Glazed America:' For The Love Of Doughnuts
Anthropologist Paul Mullins considers the history of the doughnut in his new book, Glazed America. Mullins uses the doughnut to trace America's consumer culture.
Saturday Aug 30th, 8:01 PM

Homemade Marshmallows Are S'more Delicious
Commentator and cookbook author Nancy Baggett says it's really not so hard to make marshmallows from scratch. More moist, more tender, and more flavorful than store-bought marshmallows, your S'mores, hot chocolate and Heavenly Hash will never be the same again.
Saturday Aug 30th, 12:59 PM

Dinner's Secret Weapon: The Make-Ahead Marinade
If you long to be one of those people with a freezer full of easy weeknight meals, master the art of pre-made marinades and then fire up the grill. But don't be surprised if your family starts clamoring daily for the magic of grilled meat.
Tuesday Aug 26th, 8:41 PM

Wal-Mart Pares Costs By Selling Local Produce
The retail giant defines produce grown in the same state as "locally grown." But advocates of locally grown food say only produce with short traveling times deserve the label.
Monday Aug 25th, 8:41 PM

 
Today's Latest from Entertainment Weekly

'Bangkok' wins weak weekend
Nicolas Cage's ''Bangkok Dangerous'' made just $7.8 mil, but won the worst box office weekend in five years

'True Blood': the EW review
Ken Tucker looks at Alan Ball's new vampire drama, and sees a series that's undead on arrival

Toronto Film Fest: Wipers and tears
Adam B. Vary on ''Flash of Genius'' starring Greg Kinnear, and a moving performance by Peter O'Toole

VMAs: 25 good/bad/ugly moments
Remember the riveting highs and unforgettable (try as we might) lows of TV's unruliest awards show

39 HBO series that changed TV
As ''Entourage'' and ''True Blood'' premiere on Sunday, we track the shows that put the network on the map


Working Parents from BusinessWeek

Best Places to Launch A Career AND Raise A Family
BusinessWeek just came out with its annual list of the Best Places to Launch A Career, ranking 119 employers on areas such as pay, benefits, and training programs. To find out whether these companies are also family friendly, I compared...
Friday Sep 5th, 1:10 PM

Dark Chocolate for Kids? A Great Afterschool Treat
This is written by Savita Iyer-Ahrestani, a freelance financial journalist now living in The Netherlands who guest blogs for Working Parents every other Friday. It was by total accident that I got my children to both taste and like dark...
Friday Sep 5th, 6:46 AM

Why Our Kids Reject Organized Sports
This entry is written by BusinessWeek contributing editor Mark Hyman (below), who is the author of Until It Hurts (Beacon), a book about impact of parents, coaches and other adults on youth sports to be published in April 2009. Hyman...
Thursday Sep 4th, 8:07 AM

Sarah Palin's Work-Family Conflict
When I heard the news about GOP vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's daughter, my first reaction was to marvel at the rich irony of a politician whose personal story is central to her appeal among conservatives announcing that her unmarried seventeen-year-old...
Tuesday Sep 2nd, 8:44 AM

Wake Up! Get Ready! Don?t Forget your Lunch!
This week, kids across America are starting school. Do you remember that mixed feeling? Summer vacation is over, but you want to meet the new teacher, see old friends, share your stories about camp. And you are wondering: Any new...
Monday Sep 1st, 6:16 PM


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