'Teau Mama's

What is a 'Teau Mama, you ask? Well you might not have to ask that silly question if you lived on the Sammamish Plateau, east of Seattle and you are a Mother. I capitalize the word Mother, as I would capitalize the word "Queen" or "President" because I happen to believe that the job is as important, if not more so (thinking of Queen Elizabeth who doesn't even want to meet her in laws before the wedding) than some of the most celebrated jobs in the world. Can you say talk show host or American Idol judge?
Life on the 'Teau can be soggy sometimes, well, nine months out of the year, but it is a slice of the American Dream. Where else can your kids get such an amazing education in the public school system, houses are reasonably priced, trees are green twelve months a year, and we are only a five hour plane ride to Maui if things get too dreary? 'Teau life is sweet. Admit it.
The summer, although it is short, is one of the greenest summers you'll ever see and having Pine Lake and Beaver Lake close is golden. Concerts in the park, sport camps, the outdoor market at City Hall. Remember in 2009 Money Magazine ranked Sammamish the 12th best American small town to live in? Life here still rocks and one of the reasons for that are the 'Teau Mama's. We make life sweet, in so many ways.
Many Mothers in this area do not work outside the home which is actually a phrase I'd like to change to say "do not work outside the family's every want and wish" because how many of us spend our days running errands, walking dogs and networking with other moms outside the home and it's still work? Does anyone out there believe that lunching with the girls is pure fun? Do you know what we talk about at lunch? The kids' homework habits, where to buy the best produce,how to take a vacation on a budget and what you made for dinner the night before that you'd highly recommend because it was fast and easy with the least amount of dishes ever seen in a kitchen. It's our version of a business meeting.Mothers I know here spend sixteen of their seventeen waking hours thinking about how to make life better for their families and yet still retain a semblance of sanity, all while looking smokin' hot at Safeway and we find time to be pleasant even if our day has been filled with insults from our teenagers, paying bills and quieting our barking dogs. Where do we summon all this good mojo? Well the occasional glass of pinot grigio, certainly, but occasionally we have to take an exercise class, have a pedicure or make a quick trip to a clothing store to find something to cover our muffin tops and these stolen moments put us back on track and reassure us that we used to be people too. Individuals who had our own set of demands before kids came along, liked to sing karaoke and do sports, swear, sing and dance around the house without someone telling you that you can't carry a tune. Just because we now devote our lives to children who will grow up to be the Sammamish mayor, own the pizza parlour, spearhead a project to save the possums doesn't mean we cease to exist. As a matter of fact, many 'Teau Mamas have full careers, volunteer many hours a week at the schools, head up committees to make life better for us all. But that's another story for another day. Today it's just enough to be the Goddesses that we are - Stay at Home 'Teau Mama's.