{Super Mom} Fleur Sombrero of Mommy Fleur Blog

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13

Being a mom, wife, daughter, and being able to work eight hours (or more!) a day, maintain a household and still find time to do something you are passionate about is not easy.  As a first time mom, I am still adjusting to my new role.  Juggling it with all my other roles require discipline, commitment and A LOT of love!  The key, according to Stephen Covey, is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.  Super Mom is a Cruisin' Mommyhood's blog feature where I interview moms who can give inspiration and empowerment to working moms like me. 

I am already in the office early so I have time to read the blogs I follow.  Our office has a typical Japanese layout hence my littlest sigh can be heard.  So, when I read Mommy Fleur's blog, I end up laughing or sometimes, I let out an "aawwww" on posts that I can relate to.  Either way, I get unpleasant stares from my colleagues who try to sleep until work officially starts.  



Mommy Fleur's humor and positive outlook in life is addictive and contagious.  Her blog is not just all about making "kikayness" and motherhood blend, as her blog tagline suggests.  She shares with us the life -- this crazy but wonderful, difficult but rewarding, fun but meaningful, exhausting but fulfilling life -- of a working mom.
Belle
Describe your typical day.  What is your daily routine?


Mommy Fleur
My typical day starts very early. I take a bath then by the time I get back to the room to dress up, Anika will be awake already. We'd play and converse together while I get ready for work. Then she makes me "hatid" downstairs and do outfit of the day photos. I will be at work like around 630am. I hate driving in traffic because my knee hurts (MT ang aking dina-drive). Because of this, I have to leave the house super early as not to be stuck in traffic and be late.

Since I arrive early at the office, that's my time to blog na. Then come 8am, I work. In the middle of the week, I go around around our project sites. I stay at the office if I have reports to do or if I have meetings. Then after work, I go straight home to be with Anika. If it's date night, Alvin and I meet up somewhere, have dinner or watch movies, then go home separately kasi we each drive a car. Ang labo ng date namin eh no? =)

At home, ayan, habang gising ang bagets, we play, read and watch DVDs. I don't blog or go online while Anika's awake. Due to the day's exhaustion, sometimes I fall asleep the same time Anika does. If I don't, Alvin and I watch TV downstairs or drink beer sa garage. That's how we spend quality time as hubby and wifey aside from our date nights.


Belle

You have different roles:  A daughter, wife, mom, a civil engineer by profession, an employee, and a blogger.  How do you manage your time?  How do you set your priorities? 

Mommy Fleur

My priority, first and foremost, is my daughter. And then, my husband (he understands naman why second lang siya hehe). And then my work, then my blog. How do I keep my sanity, you ask? It's all about time management. I have designated blogging time (before 8am at the office, lunchtime and when Alvin and Anika are sleeping already at night). I work during work hours. Alvin and I go out at least once a week (to keep the romance alive, ya' know). Weekends are for Anika. Sundays are spent with my family and Wowa. Meet ups with my friends are done during weekdays. Salon time are done while Anika takes her morning naps in the weekends. Massages are done at home with Anika watching TV beside me in our room. 

It's not easy. To tell you the truth, nakakaloka talaga. My mind's never empty. Always yan may iniisip like what to buy for the house, kelan maggrogrocery, blogging stuff, reports for work to be done and many more. But like what I said in my blog, this is how I want it to be. Ginusto ko ito =)

Belle

My heart sank when I read your posts and tweets about Anika wanting to sleep with yaya.  What is the most difficult part of being a working mom?  What are the challenges and how do you overcome them?

Mommy Fleur

I guess a lot of working moms can relate to how I felt that time. For me, the most difficult part of being a working mom is not being able to stay and be with Anika all the time. Pangarap ko yung when Anika goes to school (which she will by June), I will be there to make her hatid, stay and make chikahan with the mommies then be there when school lets her out. With the way things are going now, parang I won't be able to do that. However, I can ask how her day in school was or play with her when I get home. Dun na lang ako bumabawi.

Very near to that difficult part is guilt. I learned na how to deal with this slowly as time passes. For me, as long as I spend quality time with Anika, I'm fine. No mom is perfect. Buti sana kung kaya ako wala is because nagbubulakbol ako. I'm not physically there with her because I am working hard FOR her. 

One of the challenges that I face is when mommy duties calls while I'm at work. This is super easy to solve: drop everything and attend to Anika. Regardless of how important that meeting is or how important the thing I am doing for work, if my daughter needs me, I will go to her. That simple =) Bawi na lang sa office when everything's okay na.

Belle

Who is your role model and what is the most important lesson she/he has taught you? 

Mommy Fleur

My role models are my parents. They may have failed in keeping their marriage intact but they excelled naman in being parents. They both were working but never in my life that I felt not loved by them. They worked their assess off to provide well for me and my brothers. They sent us to the best schools which ensured the stepping stone to where we are now. They may have separated but they continued to be at least amicable to each other when they had to discuss us, their kids.

The most important lessons I learned from my dad was to pray all the time and marry someone I am passionately in love with. I do the former often and I made sure I did the latter =) The most important lesson I have learned from my mom naman is to be strong and to take good care of my skin. I wanna have the skin that she has by the time I am old as her. Ang ganda talaga. Ang patient niya kasi magpunas-punas ng kung ano anong eklaver sa katawan eh. It pays naman. Di nagkakalayo skin namin given that I'm 32 and she's 59 na!

Belle

What is/are the best part/s of being a working mom? 

Mommy Fleur

One of the best things about being a working mom is having that certain (different) fulfillment that I get from my work and motherhood, separately. It helped also that ever since I was young, I thrive to excel in what I do. So far, the rewards of my job is great. I am very happy that the company I work for recognizes what I do. I have a staff that does not hate me, lol! And I enjoy what I'm doing. Then at home, I am happy because Anika says please and thank you all the time. She rarely gets sick (I thank God for that). She screams and squeals when she sees me come home. In short, I feel that though I am not with her 24/7, I have not failed to be a good mother to her. I love that I can be good at my chosen career and be a good mother at the same time. The feeling is Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! =)