#letmeintroducemyself

Chopin’s, "Nocturne" in E Flat Major plays in the background as I pull Mary’s finger out of her mouth for the tenth time since picking her up from school. My phone is ringing as my graphic designer calls for the second time this afternoon. I need to give him the content for my website. The wi-fi isn't working for me to email him or do the research I need to finalize everything.

We are on a screened in porch working together as she waits for her weekly piano lesson. Her older brother Christopher is stumbling through his new pieces inside. I hear the same three measures over and over as he tries to get the fingering just right.

“Why do I have to write it again, Alex?!” Mary shouts.

“You know your mom likes to see neat work, Mary. I love your poem! Please just write it a little neater for me?”

I get a mumbled, “okay,” and she proceeds to re-write the second draft of her self-reflecting poem.

Since Mary will be out of school for the summer, I have designed lesson plans for her each week covering everything from literature to math to science. This week, we are working on self-reflecting poems. We've read countless children’s poems. Most of my favorites she owns come from A. A. Milne’s, “Complete Poems of Winnie-the-Pooh.”

"Where am I going? I don't quite know.
Down to the stream where the king-cups grow-
Up on the hill where the pine-trees blow-
Anywhere, anywhere. I don't know."

She reads.

I read.

We discuss the poetry and themes.
I give her the assignment to write her own self-reflecting poem.
I tell her to use repetition, first-person voice, and descriptive words.
I return to my work.
I am trying to finalize a business card design and write site content. With no wi-fi  I finally get around to starting my blog, instead.


#letmeintroducemyself

I am a nanny/teacher/best friend/enforcer/therapist for two children, ages 7 and 14. I am a do-it-all girl/personal assistant/household manager for their mother. I am an entrepreneur/marketer/writer/manager for two start-ups. Occasionally, time permitting; I am a friend, daughter, girlfriend, and mother to my dog.

Some think I am crazy for choosing to start businesses at 23. Others admire my hard work and drive. Honestly, I am siding with the former opinion. Any who chooses to do this has a little bit of crazy in them. Like my business partner. She is the wonderful human who came up with the ideas for the two businesses and graciously invited me along the crazy train.  She’s a fiery ginger with more balls than most men I've met. If you’re going to be young, female entrepreneur she is the person to have on your side. But seriously, I am gracious that she has given me this opportunity.

She and I are young in the business world. Sadly, I had to mention we are female also. Both make it challenging; but, I think we kind of like it that way.  We both have full time, demanding jobs for extremely affluent and compulsive people.

Making my employer happy, devoting time to my baby businesses, and feeling like I have a personal life is a juggling act larger than I ever imagined. Did I mention I attempt to work out to? If having two jobs while enrolled full time at UNC-Chapel Hill was juggling bowling pins, we've progressed to chainsaws at this point.

“Outside makes me happy, happy, HAPPY!” Mary screams angrily and throws the pencil across the porch.
“That’s the repetition for my poem. I’m tired of writing now.”

"If you were a bird, and lived on high,
You'd lean on the wind when the wind came by,
You'd say to the wind when it took you away:
"That's where I wanted to go today!""

So much for tranquil, self-reflection.

Is this where I wanted to go today?

Alexandria