Why is it that whenever we finally feel as if we have the act of juggling all aspects of our lives down, we decide we need to throw another ball into the air? Perhaps it’s the New Year; perhaps we just secretly enjoy inflicting pain on ourselves. I don’t know the answer to that question, but I know it’s something of which I am completely guilty, and my latest ball is training for the Philadelphia Women’s Triathlon.

So far, I am handling the additional commitment pretty well, without allowing any other areas of my life to suffer (at least that I’m aware of). But it’s still early; the event isn’t until July 12. I can only hope that I can maintain this control over the next six months.

Now, I know many of you have been partaking in triathlons, marathons, etc. for quite a while now, and I (as I’m sure others who may be in the same boat as me) welcome any words of wisdom and encouragement you may have based on your own experiences.

Here’s to a happy, healthy 2009, and success in incorporating whatever your new ball may be.

Kristen Keller lives in New Jersey with her two young boys, husband and two dogs. In an effort to obtain the perfect work-life balance, Kristen works part-time out of her home office as an independent public relations consultant and spends the rest of her time striving to give her children the same wonderful childhood experience she had. Click here to check out Kristen’s other posts on This Mommy Gig.

Nine years ago, I found what I thought would be the perfect Christmas gift for my brother, who at that time, had just joined the Marines. It was a fairly large cross stitch of a bald eagle with the American flag in the background. And yes, it was a great gift idea nine years ago and continues to be a nice thought as I re-gift the incomplete project year after year (don’t worry, I do get him something new too).

If only I had known how easy it could have been to find time to work on the darn thing before having my sons. But then, you know what they say; hindsight is always 20/20.

The worst year was 2006 – the year my husband decided where to pursue his PhD, the year we moved across the country and bought a house, the year we had our second son… all ending with my brother opening his “present” and saying to me, “Did you even work on it at all since last Christmas?”

I was flabbergasted by the fact that he noticed, but ever since then, I make sure that some noticeable progress has been made. Each year, I swear I’ll space out my work on it throughout the year, only to have December arrive and me working fervently into the night on what I still believe will look great when done.

My brother is no longer in the Marines. My dad and husband insist I should pay someone to finish the cross stitch, but I feel like it loses something then – not to mention, I’m kind of curious to see just how many years it will take.

Next year – the 10^th year - I’ll begin working on it in January… right

Happy holidays everyone! And if you ever plan on giving someone a cross stitch that you have to do yourself, I recommend something small.

Kristen Keller lives in New Jersey with her two young boys, husband and two dogs. In an effort to obtain the perfect work-life balance, Kristen works part-time out of her home office as an independent public relations consultant and spends the rest of her time striving to give her children the same wonderful childhood experience she had. Click here to check out Kristen’s other posts on This Mommy Gig.

A couple of weeks ago, I was introduced to the Trace Adkins country song, “You’re Gonna Miss This,” which can be heard here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igm2iGvo-us. If you haven’t heard this song before, or even if you have, be sure to have tissues on hand. As I listened to this song, I thought of my life and how quickly it seems to be flying by. I can relate to each part of the song – have memories as clear as if they happened yesterday.

I remember sitting with my mom in Burger King when I was a freshman in high school and talking about how we would be looking at colleges in a few years. My mom started crying while we talked – three years before I would be leaving. As silly as her tears may have seemed to me at the time, I now completely understand the emotions unlike any other that come with parenthood.

I remember getting my first, one-bedroom apartment that I paid for with my measly entry-level PR job income and looking forward to the days I would be able to have a house and a yard. I remember my dad walking me down the aisle at my wedding and dancing with him to “Butterfly Kisses” – a song he picked for our dance and another one that makes me cry every time, because I know I’ll always be his little girl no matter how old I get.

And now, here I am, married to the man I’ve been with for 11 years (since college) with two young boys and two dogs, living in a house with a wonderful yard that we own in New Jersey, almost 10 years of work experience under my belt, and my younger brother is going to turn 28 soon! I look back and think, how did I get here?

I’m thankful for songs like this for putting things into perspective in such a simple way. When my two-year-old is crying uncontrollably because he’s overtired, or my four-year-old asks me the same question several times in the span of two minutes, I now find myself thinking back to this song and how this is just another page of my life that will soon be turned. Enjoy the here and now, because as challenging as it all may seem at the moment, we are going to miss this.

Kristen Keller lives in New Jersey with her two young boys, husband and two dogs. In an effort to obtain the perfect work-life balance, Kristen works part-time out of her home office as an independent public relations consultant and spends the rest of her time striving to give her children the same wonderful childhood experience she had. Click here to check out Kristen’s other posts on This Mommy Gig.

While I fully admit I knew nothing about children before having them, there is one thing I have always known – that I was not going to raise brats. It always irked me when I would see a parent threaten a child with a consequence, only to not follow through when the child continued to disobey. Therefore, even before our first son was born, I made my husband promise that he would not use empty threats; we wouldn’t say anything unless we were prepared to follow through.

And I have stayed true to my word… that is, until a few weeks ago. I had signed Braden (almost four years old) up for swim lessons – five Saturday lessons at the local college. After watching him have a ball in my dad’s pool just weeks before and having me, who swam on my high school team, as his mother, I figured he had the love for swimming in his blood and couldn’t wait to watch him in the water.

The first lesson came and went, and he had gone in for a total of 10 minutes (40-minute lesson), and this was after 30 minutes of crying and saying he wanted to go home. That’s okay. I chalked it up to the fact that it was a new experience and the water was cold. But then the second lesson came, and it was worse than the first. He didn’t want to go anywhere near the water – just balled up next to me and cried. I tried talking to him, but he wouldn’t tell me what was upsetting him so much. So I told him if he wasn’t enjoying the lessons, I would just bring his brother, Devin, the next time instead. This made him even more upset, to which I responded, “Show me you’re having fun, and I’ll keep bringing you. But you have to go in the water. If you don’t go in the water, I’m bringing Devin next time.”

He ended up not going in the water, and I was faced with a decision that was incredibly difficult for me. As I said, I’ve always been one to follow through with what I say, but he had been acting so out of character all-around during that time period, that I didn’t want to deprive him if this was just some short phase he was going through. Yes, perhaps the threat was a little harsh (as one friend said to me); I guess you had to be there to understand what a miserable situation it was for both of us during that entire swim lesson.

I toiled with this decision the entire week following that lesson – not wanting to go back on my word but wanting to believe him when he said he wanted to go and that he would go in the water. “I promise, Mommy.” In the end, his overall attitude did a complete 180 that week and Devin ended up getting sick. Not wanting to take a sick child to the pool, I decided to give Braden one more shot. And I made it clear to him that the only reason he was getting another shot was because Devin was sick.

But I took a different approach this time. Rather than trying throughout the entire lesson to get Braden to go into the pool, before the lesson started, I simply said to him, “Braden, I’m only going to say this once. I love you. Whether you go in the pool or not is completely up to you, and I love you either way. But please understand that if you aren’t enjoying this, then I am going to give Devin a try next time. I signed you up for lessons because I really thought you would have fun.” Well, something sunk in, and he went in for 10 minutes that day and had the biggest smile I had seen on his face yet. The following week, he was in for 20 minutes, and for the last class, he went in for the entire 40 minutes.

Yes, it turned out well, and knowing what I know now, I’m glad I gave Braden one more chance. However, had Devin not been sick, would I have taken him instead of Braden? To be honest, I really don’t know. What would you have done?

Kristen Keller lives in New Jersey with her two young boys, husband and two dogs. In an effort to obtain the perfect work-life balance, Kristen works part-time out of her home office as an independent public relations consultant and spends the rest of her time striving to give her children the same wonderful childhood experience she had. Click here to check out Kristen’s other posts on This Mommy Gig.

We’ve all heard someone say this at some time or another, “S/he’s [insert young age here] going on 13.” But it wasn’t until recently, through what I have experienced with my three-year-old, Braden, that I could really appreciate the truth in this statement.

Therefore, I thought it would be fun to share a quick list of things Braden has been doing that is preparing me for the teenage years:

Mood swings

Okay, so I suppose this goes with whatever age you are (after all, he comes by this honestly with me as his mother), but lately… my goodness! A complete angel and happy one minute, and seemingly possessed the next.

Sleeping in

After a long stretch of getting up at 6:00 or earlier, Braden has begun to sleep in. These days, he’ll sleep to 7:30 or *gasp* 8:30!

And my personal favorite – he thinks his parents are idiots

I can’t tell you how many times over the past few weeks I have tried to explain something to my sons, only to hear Braden respond with, “No mommy, you’re wrong.” And he recently got frustrated with my husband (the Princeton student going for his PhD in electrical and computer engineering), because he wasn’t doing something “right” on the computer. My husband left the situation and said to me, “Obviously, he doesn’t know what I do for a living.”

I’m sure many of you have some to add – would love to hear them!

Kristen Keller lives in New Jersey with her two young boys, husband and two dogs. In an effort to obtain the perfect work-life balance, Kristen works part-time out of her home office as an independent public relations consultant and spends the rest of her time striving to give her children the same wonderful childhood experience she had. Click here to check out Kristen’s other posts on This Mommy Gig.

Have you ever been in the midst of life as you know it, and all of a sudden, something about your normal, everyday life rubs you the wrong way? This happened to me the other day when I came to the realization that, when my husband, I and our two boys are all at home, it is automatically assumed that I am the primary person responsible for the children.

If my husband has to go off to do work, run an errand or catch a game he’s been looking forward to on TV, he’ll simply say, “I have to go…,” and be on his way. If I have something that I want to do or need to accomplish that is not child-related, then there is the understanding that I need to give him notice at least a few hours (or even a day) in advance. Because of this, I usually end up putting extra work hours in at night after the boys are in bed, rather than “inconveniencing” my husband when the boys are awake.

I brought this observation to my husband’s attention the other night, and how did he respond when I asked why it was that I had to give him advanced warning while he could go off and do work, run an errand or watch the game at the drop of a hat? He said, “… because you’re the woman.”

Now, before all the women reading this get too red in the face with anger (because I would too), just a couple days before this conversation – when we were talking about ridding our yard of leaves – he tried to propose that I do it. When he asked me why it’s just assumed he’ll do it, sick and tired of having to answer the question of “Why?” all day to my two young boys, I simply said, “Because you’re the man.” Touché.

When all is said and done, this really is not an “I hate my husband” post or anything even remotely close to it. It’s not entirely his fault I’ve fallen into the role of primary caregiver when we’re all at home, as well as the primary bread winner (at least while he finishes up his PhD). In fact, I’m sure, subconsciously, I played a big part in ensuring things are just as they are. I simply feel like, now, I’m living my life each day with eyes wide open – realizing the crucial role I play as mother, wife and professional, and how working mothers truly are the most talented jugglers of them all.

Kristen Keller lives in New Jersey with her two young boys, husband and two dogs. In an effort to obtain the perfect work-life balance, Kristen works part-time out of her home office as an independent public relations consultant and spends the rest of her time striving to give her children the same wonderful childhood experience she had. Click here to check out Kristen’s other posts on This Mommy Gig.

When my mom passed away a little over two years ago, I found comfort in reading journal entries she had left behind. There weren’t many, but the few that I did see gave me a new appreciation for things she had gone through but had never let on were eating at her, and just furthered my belief in what an amazing, selfless woman she was.

Given the joy I received in reading her thoughts, I started my own journal, titled, “A Journal for My Children,” just a week after she died. In it, I have entries covering everything from my relationship with my mom, dealing with her loss, and how big a part my children played in getting me through some of the toughest years of my life; to difficult life decisions my husband and I have had to make; to successes and challenges I’ve experienced in work; to fun activities we took part in, funny comments the boys have made and milestones crossed. I wanted it to be handwritten, as my mom’s were handwritten, and having the entries in her writing made them that much more personal, more real.

While I began this journal with the intent of writing in it every night, length between entries is typically more like weeks or months. That was, until the last couple of days, which have been complete contrasts of each other but both worthy of being recorded in history forever – and thus, why the value of journals is at the forefront of my mind.

It seems like such a simple idea and one that I’m sure we’ve all heard before. But now, I can truly appreciate the value of a journal to both myself and the ones I care about. Whenever it is my time to go, and I hope it’s a long time from now, I want my children to be able to read this journal and gain some real insight into who I was – not just as their mother, but as a wife, daughter, sister and professional.

I share this with you to encourage you to write down your thoughts and feelings. It doesn’t have to be every day, but believe me when I say that whatever you do put on paper will provide those you love with a window into who you really are and will be cherished in years to come.

Kristen Keller lives in New Jersey with her two young boys, husband and two dogs. In an effort to obtain the perfect work-life balance, Kristen works part-time out of her home office as an independent public relations consultant and spends the rest of her time striving to give her children the same wonderful childhood experience she had. Click here to check out Kristen’s other posts on This Mommy Gig.

Kristen Keller lives in New Jersey with her two young boys, husband and two dogs. In an effort to obtain the perfect work-life balance, Kristen works part-time out of her home office as an independent public relations consultant and spends the rest of her time striving to give her children the same wonderful childhood experience she had. Click here to check out Kristen’s other posts on This Mommy Gig.

Today I am on a plane – headed out of the country and getting temporary relief from my duties as mother, wife and businesswoman. That’s right. I’m on my way to Rome with my dad and brother, where we will spend a lovely day before departing on our Eastern Mediterranean Cruise. For 10 days, my roles as daughter and big sister will be at the forefront, and I cannot wait!

This trip was my brainchild and began with a call to my dad in the midst of a long commute into work about a year ago (worked in an office then). I said, “Dad – I have a brilliant idea. You and I are going to take a trip – just you and me – next year.” I had no idea where or when, but I knew I wanted to have some quality time with my dad – create memories neither of us would ever forget. He said, “Okay,” but I don’t think he really believed it would come to fruition.

Well, here we are a year later, and we’re on our way to Rome! And Sicily and Crete and Greece and Turkey! The fact that my brother was able to join us is a huge bonus! And I’m sure my mom will be joining us in spirit; she wouldn’t miss this for the world!

Sure, it means I had to work 10 times as hard to make sure all was in order (professionally and at home) before I left, and will have to work just as hard when I return to play catch-up, but it will be so worth it! I have four books that I’ve been wanting to read – books with actual paper pages and heavier on text than on pictures – that I have brought with me. Will I get through them all? That remains to be seen.

And there are two formal dinner nights, so I get to dress up! I love dressing up – just never really have an occasion to do so. As someone who works from a home office, I’m not one to dress in sweats every day, but I certainly don’t find myself in many situations where I need to wear things that are “dry clean only.”

The point is, on this trip, I get to focus on ME and do things with my dad and brother that we enjoy doing – things you can’t do when accompanied by children – like hit the Blackjack tables and go on wine tours. I’m sure many of you understand. Ever since having kids, time with my dad and brother just isn’t the same with them around. We always have fun, but the focus is always on the children. Sure, we may sneak in a Scrabble game here and there, but only if we’re lucky enough to have both kids sleep at the same time.

Of course I will miss my boys and husband; I actually got teary-eyed in the car the other day thinking of saying good-bye to my boys at the airport (I’ll get to see them off at their gate as they head off to Indiana with my aunt). And my husband – I’m so thankful to have a man who understands the relationship that I have with my dad and brother and how important this once-in-a-lifetime trip is to me.

As for my work, I think I’ll get by just fine without it.

So here’s to leaving my mommy, wife and work life behind, and for 10 days, remembering what it’s like to be the kid again.