This week, I’m sharing a blogger with you that I have met IRL. And she’s a total sweetheart. I got to listen to her tell the story about her twitter and blog name and how people think that she spelled it wrong- but it’s really just a play on words, tongue-in-cheek kind of name. Tracy blogs at Sellabit Mum. She used to sell things, not because well… well, she has three girls, so obviously…ahem.
Now that I’ve probably mortified Tracy by talking about her love life, I know that you all will make up for it by showing her lots of love today. And I do know that you will love her. She puts a lot of thought and heart into her writing. She is positive, but someone who admits that somedays are harder than others. Meet Tracy:
A Friday, March 2001
5:00 am wake up
Pee by myself
45 minute jog
Coffee
Quiet breakfast feeding only myself
Matt Lauer had hair. Oh wow, sexy hair.
Shower by myself, no one pulling on the shower curtain(well, maybe my boyfriend)
Long, hot, shower
I iron my clothes
8:00 am
I leave for work on-time in clean clothing
I leave for work and leave a clean home behind me
My car is clean.
I did not sit on goldfish crackers.
A Friday, March 2011
4:45 holy hell the baby is awake already
Pee holding baby and wipe and wash as best I can.
Jog? Jog?
Coffee
No jog, okay tweet. “I NEED COFFEE HOLY HELL IT’S EARLY”
Coffee
Nurse baby while tweeting. “Oh I love early mornings. Shooting rainbows out of my butt here.”
Coffee. When is Matt Lauer on.
Sesame Street. tweet “Elmo is whacked. WHACKED!”
Check email while pretend to build block tower with baby.
Coffee.
Read blogs out-loud in sing-songy voice to baby.
Aw, Matt Lauer. Still hot without hair. Now I love older men. They grey-haired ones dig me.
Coffee.
Breakfast of licking peanut butter out of the jar while I give the baby bananas.
Wake-up big kids. They tell me it’s early. “I’ll show you early, girlfriends. You want to see early tomorrow?”
Zombie children stare at TV while I make frozen waffles. Baby is pulling on my legs. Bananas coat my yoga pants.
Oh Matt Lauer, you are fine.
Coffee.
Throw food down kids throats, pack lunches. Same lunches I packed yesterday, the day before yesterday and last year.
Throw clothing on kids. Wrinkled.
Baby gets out every toy in house.
Tweet “I love my life. My kids are so beautiful and perfect.”
Check for blog comments.
Walk kids to bus-stop. Realize I am in my robe and slippers. Baby is screaming.
Coffee
Put baby down to nap.
8:00 am
Sit on floor. House is a disaster.
Drink coffee and stare at Matt Lauer.
Breathe
So how have your mornings changed since you’ve become a mother? Just less hair? Or more coffee?

Every once in awhile, I get a child-free morning while my kids are with their dad… I get so lost in the quiet that I end up later and more hurried than ever, but I do remember those days!
I don't remember my pre-children days… Did I really have them???
Don't you just want to show this to everyone out there who says moms have such an easy job?:)
Wishing you lots of breathing space.:)
pre children pre children.. I am thinking I really am.. hmmm.. I have never seen her but I am definitely gonna go find her now..
Tracey, I love you. Really.
I remember times before my kids, good times, bad times, pee without people in the room times. π
those two accounts was such a good way to show us the difference, I loved it in every way.
and Hi Shell!!! love you too. Happy Friday!
Hi Shell, nice to see you π
So very wonderful to see one of my fav's and first blogging friends here today! Just as adorable IRL as on her blog. Tracy will have you coming back every day for more. Her photo's, her heartfelt writing, her absolute love for her family and those gorgeous girls will make your heart melt … and some days there's snark .. under that beautiful exterior of hers, there is snark, and its quite delicious π
Hahaha…wow. I don't remember things being so crazy but then, I'm losing my mind.
Just the fact that I am up early enough to see morning now that I have kids doesn't make me happy. I also miss showering without any interruptions.
What a great comparison!! My life is pretty much the same, though more harried and I definitely get up earlier…and hardly make it to work without *something* on me that the kids left.
OMG I love this…so true!! I am heading over to check out your blog, I want to read more π
It hurts. How did you know my life?
Love that picture. Beautiful baby girl.
http://www.6degreeslove.com
Man, posts like these always make me realize I need to start having a far more organized, clean and awesome life, so I can adequately mourn it once I have kids.
Freaking boring no kid life, how you vex me.
Posts like these give me hope. She mentions two kids who consider some time, whatever that is, "too early."
Oh, how I miss those days that 6:00 was too damn early to even contemplate anything.
Lol freaking awesome. I still always get my workouts in everyday, that's my only real thing I do for myself in the day.
I'm hopping on over to Tracy's blog now!
the only time i have for myself is when i go for a facial during weekend. that's it. lol
Mom Blog
Always make time for yourself and read Tracy's blog, you will never be disappointed! I am her biggest fan.
You will be amazed how your life will change when those girls get a little older, Charlie just poured me some more coffee…something to look forward to!
There will come a day when they ARE old enough to make their own breakfast and lunches…which will leave more time for Lauer watching!!
(Thanks for introducing, Shell.)
This is a pretty perfect description of how life changes so quickly with kids. It's a whole different world.
This could not be anymore true!!! I have become addicted to coffee since children. Early risers in my house! I miss sleeping in. Sigh.
Wow, I think she was using my life for inspiration writing that post! I also like how she wrote it, by comparing two separate Friday mornings years apart. For anyone with children they will completely get it and understand, for those who don't have kids, they'll simply think to themselves, No way, life cant' change that much with kids and what a slap in the face it is when they see it does!!
Welcome to the club!
Sleep…I remember lots and lots of sleep before motherhood. Clean clothes, real clothes, taking time to make myself look extra pretty. Sigh.
First schedule: HATED her. Those women who are always put together and on time. Gah!
Second schedule: LOVED her. Felt like I'd met my sister from another mister!
Absolutely fun way to get to know her.
~Mimi
Very hilarious! I turned into a coffee addict once I became a mom.
This is hilarious! I started drinking coffee after my second was born. LOL!
Thank you so much Shell for having me as your BFF. These comments are so fun to read and think about all these new amazing people I have met and new blogs to read. LOVE YOU.
xoxoxoxo
You wake up at 5am? I am barely going to sleep at that time. No one in my family would want to see me that early in the morning. But it does look like you get to drink a lot of coffee if you wake up that early.
The years have been good to Matt Lauer!
I think Tracy is going to be my newest BFF….I can totally relate to this post!!! Oh, to think back to what my life was like 10 years ago versus what it's like now.
I used to think the sound of kids calling "Mommy, mommy, mommy" to me would be music to my ears. But now…oh man, it grates on my last nerve when they constantly whine "mommy, mommy, mommy" over and over and over until I finally wanna throw my head in the damn microwave.
Love this feature, Shell. I have found many wonderful blogs through you!
What a GREAT post! I can totally relate!! Thanks for sharing!
She really is amazing!
I can not even remember what I did before I had kids and it has only been six years. How sad is that?
I remember hitting a snooze a lot more often. And not leaving the house hot and sweaty from wrestling a toddler into her clothing.
Yes I agree with Jennifer's comment- my husband and I often say, what was life like before kids? Hard to remember and as crazy as some days are I don't think I would go back.
Oh mama, your club just got a little bigger:) Love this. As we speak (or as I write) my daughter is trying to crank my neck around in a cicle, Beetlejuice style. Or the exorsist?
I don't have many moments to myself these days. Sweet baby jesus.
HAHAHA! I love it! I can absolutely relate to that! π
yes ma'am
your 2011 just about covers it.
holy hell.
LOL
B.C. (before children) we had money and I didn't concern myself about leaking everytime I sneezed. Coffee was a morning drink only.
A.C. (after children) I have very little money and if I forget a liner pee myself when I sneeze. Let's just forget about allergy season. Coffee is administered with IV every day, all day.
Single girls not sure if you want kids ~ tie those tubes now!
Oh girlie, do I understand! I am so with you. Love this post, such a great intro to Tracy!! She's as fabulous in person as she is on her blog, so a great follow for sure π
Life has changed, but I can't really remember what went on before. Reading this I have a faint memory that there was a time before goldfish crackers. Yes, I think there might have been!
Oh lord I could relate to all of this. I have a three year old and a newly mobile nine month old. I loved that you admitted to pretending to build the tower while checking email. This is a moment straight from my life. And the peeing while holding the kid. I had a great laugh reading this.
this post had me ROLLING with laughter! I remember watching TV in quiet. I remember walking to class, skipping class and laying in bed by myself. those were lovely days. But I had lonely days too – and I am far from lonely now! LOL
Off to check out her blog now!
Yep, that's pretty much my story too. Except I would sleep until the very last minute. Miss those days fiercely.
Tracy~ you got me at "read blogs out loud in a sing songy voice to the baby". Classic. I do not miss those hectic days. But, I miss the babies!
Life was so simple without kids now wasn't it? But even with banana on my yoga pants, I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Wow 11.5 years later and I don't even really remember those days. Now we are not getting up to turn on Elmo, but to run to practices.
fun post!
Mimosas baby!! Oh just kidding… (sorta…)
This is so funny! And my car used to be clean once upon a time too…
I don't remember the pre mommy mornings. Perhaps that's for the best. I'm sure good grooming and moments of silence were involved.
Sigh.
Loved this!
I don't even have children and I frequently reminisce over my pre-DH days, living a hop skip from work, dragging my butt out of bed for work at 8:00 because I didn't get home til 4, hopping in a cab after my trip to Starbucks…
…were they the good old days? I don't know. These days are okay too. π
Great post!
More coffee!! Without a doubt. It's the drink of a champion mother! :0)
I love the past about reading blogs in a sing song voice. I used to do that (well, mags not blogs) with my first. He's twelve now. Sigh…
I still can't get over the fact that you used to voluntarily get up that early before you had kids!
Oh yes…thanks for the flash back:) lol Peeing w a babe in arms. Classic.
I don't remember my pre-child mornings either…I think they were a fog of getting my hair into decent shape? I have no idea what else I would have done with all my extra time??
I love this post! Oh how I can relate!
Good pick, Shell!
I just fell instantly in love, and am off to visit her blog now!
You nailed it! Of course you did, you're amazing!
Loved the post, will remember your affinity for Matt Lauer and seriously *must* know more about the origin of your blog name! π
XO
that was just this side of awesome!!!
I love Sellabit mum and her posts.
She's the real deal.
tee hee. This is so funny! I can almost imagine what you sound like when you talk.
And that pretty sums it up for me, except – I have no idea what Matt Lauer looks like. Pathetic, huh? There were even a few years where I was living in the States as an adult so I have no excuse.
How did I miss this last week? I love Tracy but had no idea of her love for Matt Lauer.
That morning sounds just like mine and am so glad that she didn't say that she still fit a jog in because I would be feeling really guilty.