Ithaca Motherhood Conference

Last weekend (now two weekends ago!! I need to find time to update this blog) I went back up to Ithaca for a wonderful retreat with some old friends from Cornell. Jennie Sanders and I planned a CareerMothers conference to tap the collective mothering wisdom of the women we knew while we were at Cornell. Essentially, it was a chance to take a step back from our daily routines and and learn from each other about what we are doing in our roles/jobs/callings/careers as mothers. Being a full-time mother breaks down some of the handy compartments that can keep our lives organized and feeling full. Whereas in other stages of life what I did (professionally or as hobbies or interests) didn't define me, I feel like in this stage of life what I do (mother) is so much a part of my identity (mother), that I need to step back in order to make sure that I'm still both progressing and thriving as an individual, and doing a good job as a mother. Maybe that is true for other people at other stages of life, but for me, being a full-time mother is the most intense experience of total immersion. I love it, but it's intense.

Anyway, it was such a great experience just to get away by myself for a weekend. I feel like that alone gave me some much-needed perspective on what I need to change/do more of/do less of to be the mom/wife/person I want to be. The conference was held at the Kappa Delta sorority house where Jennie and Scott are house parents. The women who were from out-of-town (and one "local") stayed in the sorority house since it was empty for the summer. I think that everyone felt really inspired and renewed by the end of the weekend. We had an opening dinner on Friday night and then several workshop sessions on Saturday. Jennie's mom gave the "keynote address" on Joyful Mothering. I led a workshop on Supporting Playful Learning (all about why creative, imaginative and dramatic play is important for children's development and how parents can support this by providing "true toys" such as blocks and dolls, craft material, dress-up or costume options, etc. and by giving kids opportunity and latitude to let their imaginations roam). There were other sessions on topics like positive discipline, raising self-reliant and hard-working children, improving our relationships with our husbands, etc.

One of the best things about the weekend was reconnecting with old friends and remembering what was such a wonderful, special time in my life. I miss it, but the only consolation is that Ithaca is such a transient place. Even if we had stayed, everyone else would have moved on eventually and it wouldn't have been the same anyway. Oh, but it was such a great time and we made such good friends!

The whole group (minus a few)

The kiddos at the Saturday night Family BBQ

Heather and Chelsea at the Cornell Dairy Bar

Whipping up lunch in the sorority house kitchen

Jennie and Conrad

Hiking at Treman