Parenting on the go. When real life makes you to go missing.

Last week I was on NBC’s Today Show. (Whoa. Did that happen? Yes it did. Unless someone fabricated these pictures.)

Nope. Nobody fabricated these pictures. These pictures really happened. And it was wonderful. I may’ve cried like a ding-a-ling after it happened… because I kinda couldn’t believe it really happened. (Watch the segment here. A few of my most fave parenting hacks for toddler proofing hotel rooms.) The segment was titled “Parenting on the Go.” Chalk that day up to a career HIGH. And as everyone in entertainment knows: Career highs must be followed by even more blogging, more posting, more hustle, more flow.

So why the heck have I been missing from this site for a week?

BECAUSE REAL LIFE CAME ALONG. And I had to go. Sometimes moms have to go.

Why the heck am I bothering to write about why I’ve been missing in the first place?

BECAUSE WE ALL NEED TO REMEMBER THAT REAL LIFE STILL EXISTS. And that we should pay attention to it. It’s less flashy than online life, but it’s real. REAL.

Sometimes we all must stop. Because other things are more important. And that’s ok. Real friends (and followers) understand that. (Dontcha?)

We all have real life. And sometimes our real life cannot fully function unless we put our digital life on hold.

There are children who need first-time dance recital costume prep and pictures taken, attention to their deep coughs that suddenly developed after swim class started two days ago and piles of forms that must be collected and filled out so that said children may begin their prospective preschools and ‘real’ schools next year. Those same kids also need to be fed and refereed (sometimes at the same time). There are new dishwashers to be scouted and purchased unexpectedly. There are stacks and stacks of dishes and bowls and cups and utensils to hand wash because the dishwasher you did have suddenly got ripped out of the wall because your husband hated the way it left a yucky film of detergent all over the glasses. (Ok fine, he might’ve been right…. BUT THIS WAS NOT THE WEEK TO DO IT! Love ya babe.) There are parents who need your extra love, help and support during challenging times… and you happily give it fully because they are your parents and you love them so much your heart hurts. There are phone calls to make and overdue conversations to have and plots to be made to take over the world (did I say that out loud?).

There are also almost-dead plants all over your uncovered patio that you just noticed. So you need to water them. Because watching them die would make you sad (and make your patio look ugly).

And then you must tweet so that your little blog can continue to grow and you can continue to work in this amazing, sometimes-confusing and all-consuming digital world.

You get my point. So you don’t post new blogs… and end up grabbing one of these with your sister and your collective three children and their sippy cups instead. (Behold a black cherry mojito, folks… which does take the edge off if you use it wisely and responsibly… which I did).

And then real life gets more and more controllable and before you know it, you’ve bounced back. Blogging. Posting. Flowing. And driving those cute little cubs of yours to their dance recital rehearsals.

Proper and effective mom-ing takes time and attention. It’s the most important time and attention we’ll ever contribute to anything… ever. So go when you gotta go and don’t worry about the rest of the world. It’s still gonna turn and it’s still gonna let you jump back in after you do what you need to do in real life.

A focused and friendly reminder for all of us… thanks to something I’ve suspiciously seen posted all over friends’ social media accounts about a million times this week:

Go when you’ve gotta go… for the sake of proper parenting. I’m taking this message from the Social Media Universe (and Anne Lamott) to heart. You too? Fabulous.