Team Mom

There is certainly not much little old me could add to the whole opting out/opting in/off-ramping/working mom/stay at home mom debate. All I know is that I didn't really think of it is opting out or taking an off ramp when I decided to stay home with my peanut. I thought of it as more of a pause - sure, I'll end up behind where other people are who play the video all the way through, but sometimes you just gotta take a break to take care of a little personal business. And eventually, you get to the end of the movie and it's just as good whether you hit pause or watched it all the way through, it's just a matter of personal preference.

But in anticipation of the upcoming Olympic Games, I saw a story on swimmer Dara Torres. This woman is 41, a mom and swimming some of her best times against swimmers who are half her age. Gotta say, she's an inspiration to this mama. She got back in the pool to stay in shape, not necessarily to compete again. But she listened to that little voice in her head to follow her dreams and now balances training for the Games with caring for a two-year-old. Certainly, that means that I can get off my booty to finish that project during peanut's nap time.

So I'll be cheering for Dara in the upcoming Olympic season - what a wonderful role model for moms, the nation, and really the world. Go Team Mom!