Mommy Like a Rock Star- Part 1

January 4, 2010

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We’re on Day One of the ten part series: “Mommy Like a Rock Star”.

To catch up, visit here.

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We just returned from a few days of traveling, visiting Hubs on tour. Watching my kids ping off the walls of the tour bus made me think about the intricacies of touring life, and some of the parallels between being a touring rock band and being a mom with small children. (No, seriously!)

So for the next ten days, we’ll embark on a journey where I spill everything I know about rock star touring, as it applies to…well, Mommying. So get your old Harley boots on, and get ready to Mommy like a Rock Star.

Part 1- Make a Splash

As a band on tour, there are some areas you just don’t skimp on. Sound, lights, a killer backdrop to really set you apart from the opening bands. These are places you spend the money to insure that the rest of the tour is worthwhile. Because if those elements aren’t right, you may as well stay home.

As a mom, we have countless opportunities every day to impress our small charges, to put on a great show. The part that always amazes me is how little it actually takes to send my children into spasms of joy. Think about it…when you tell your kids they can play with all four colors of Play Doh, it’s like you just promised them an encore where Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison both play “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” WITH Kermit the Frog.

But it’s too easy for us to get bogged down in the mundanity of “Why it’s not Practical.” The list of things a Mama can say no to every day is very long. You can’t have that for breakfast, you can’t wear that to school, that’s enough TV, we can’t bake cookies/go to the park/go elephant hunting...You get the idea.

I can tell I’ve fallen into that trap when I see my five year old’s shoulders slump down and a look of “Why ask?” cross her face. Then I know it’s time to say yes to something ridiculous, and fast. That’s when we wind up with twenty feet of paper across the floor, or pancakes for dinner.

And while there’s always ways to wow them at home, I find even more opportunities to step outside the box when we’re on the road. We travel quite a bit, and my goal with each trip is to make them more comfortable navigating the world. I want them to be adaptable, and to feel like they can handle whatever may come up in the course of a trip.

On a recent jaunt to Boston, my Mom was with us, bringing our total party to five. That meant I had to order a car from the airport, as a taxi wouldn’t squeeze us in. Since a standard car wouldn’t fit us, I was clicking on an SUV- when a window popped up and said, “For $17.95 more, you can have a stretch limo!” I pictured the look on my thirteen year old’s face and was sold.

Indeed, the look on his face at the airport was as priceless as I’d hoped. But the best part was when, as I struggled to get the booster seats properly tethered, he said, “Mom! You’ve got a lollipop stick stuck to your butt!”

Well, of course I do. Because that’s so rock and roll.

How do you make your tour feel more like a festival and less like a forced march?

New Jimi Hendrix Album! (current.com)

Category Posted in DIY, Fangirl, Giveaways, Old School

13 Responses to “Mommy Like a Rock Star- Part 1”

Jennifer at Hip As I Wanna Be said:

January 4th, 2010 at 1:45 pm

Love, love, love this post! I worked in the music industry for years (Nashville or NashVegas) and now I am back to being good ‘ole mom.

You rock sister!
Jennifer at Hip As I Wanna Be´s last blog ..Digital Love. Oh Yes, It Is Real
Amanda @ High Impact Mom said:

January 4th, 2010 at 1:46 pm

Love it! I look for little ways I can make their eyes shine every day! But I know that shoulder slump well trust me…it’s just what happens when we get too wrapped up in being an adult. Great post!
Amanda @ High Impact Mom´s last blog ..Mamavation Monday: January 4, 2010
Jenn Fowler said:

January 4th, 2010 at 2:01 pm

A stretch limo? You are indeed a rock star mom

I probably don’t do it as often as I should, but I do like to try to shake things up a bit with the kids. We’ve done picnics on the floor in front of the TV (they aren’t allowed to eat in the den normally), pancakes for supper and silly tickle fights. . .
Jenn Fowler´s last blog ..Menu Plan 1/4
rockrollmama said:

January 4th, 2010 at 3:32 pm

Thanks, ladies.:) You’re all rock stars, and it’s so fun to hear about other mamas in the same boat. I hate it when I hear myself saying…”One more minute…” in response to every request. Thank you for stopping by!
ali said:

January 4th, 2010 at 3:55 pm

even though i don’t have little ones, i can relate through my experiences with my nieces! some days you just gotta let their freak flags fly!
Susan Helene Gottfried said:

January 4th, 2010 at 4:09 pm

$17.95 well spent. I’d have done exactly the same thing. (and that’s before we discuss Boston drivers!)
Susan Helene Gottfried´s last blog ..Roadie Poet: New Leaf
Samantha said:

January 4th, 2010 at 5:27 pm

I’ve been saying way too many no’s lately. This post is such a great reminder about how to bring the fun back into parenting, how to pick your battles and the like. I’m very excited for the 10 days of Mommy like a Rock Star!!!!
Ri @ Music Savvy Mom said:

January 4th, 2010 at 11:02 pm

I think this is the beginning of a beautiful series…and, you had me at “Kermit the Frog” and “lollipop stick stuck to your butt”…
pixielation said:

January 5th, 2010 at 7:30 am

Great post – sometimes it’s so easy to say no, but so much more rewarding to say yes. I want to be remembered as the mum who made things happen, who played crazy games, or had fabulous ideas. Not the one who said no no no, and vacuumed all the time. (Not that I actually do that… the vacuuming that is)
pixielation´s last blog ..press 5 for a childhood meltdown
rockrollmama said:

January 5th, 2010 at 11:32 am

Ali: “Let their freak flag fly…” I love it! It was so much fun to see you over break, thank you for coming out on the 28th! xoxo.

Susan: It was so over the top ridiculous, it was just fun. And, bonus: my mom hadn’t been in a limo and thought it was just the funniest thing.

Samantha: Welcome! Thank you very much for coming by, and for your kind words: Sometimes “No” becomes a joke in our house- I realize I’m saying it automatically, and my 13 year old says, “No! Is that ll you can say?” and I say “No!” Bwahahahaha.

Pixielation: Exactly! Each day is a chance to make something ordinary something that they’ll look back on and say, “I don’t think all the Mums did that.” If I vacuumed, my children would be very concerned as to the health of our friendly weekly help. When I straighten up on a whim, they say, “Oh! Was ____ Here today?” And I say, “No, Mommy can clean too!” and they just look at me with an indulgent smile. Oh, well. They know I cook.:)
Tiffani said:

January 6th, 2010 at 12:05 am

Lately, I’ve been taking time to “Just Dance” on Wii with Riley. It makes her day to beat me, but really I know she just loves having Mom play with her.

Come February that will get a whole lot easier when I go full-time at freelancing.
Tiffani´s last blog ..Roll Tide! Getting fired up!
Josee said:

January 6th, 2010 at 7:55 pm

I love your posts Linsday! You rock! As an artist manager for a Nashville Roots Rock singer/songwriter/guitarist, I’m on the road alot and working almost 24/7, I don’t know where I would have time to have kids, hum and let alone, make them!! LOL …. You’re a true inspiration!

P.S. I’m engaged and actually do practice the Baby making fun ….. for recreational purposes only!!! )
Devilish Southern Belle said:

January 7th, 2010 at 3:17 am

Well, I don’t ever get to travel to many places, but for my sons and my “road trip” every other weekend…they are just so happy if we do something out of the norm every now and then. Like stopping for supper, or a quick shopping trip – they’re teenagers now, so not as easy to impress.