Momathon Blog

Betty White in a Super Bowl ad? You go girl!!!

 

If I'm even half this cool at 88, I'd be sooooo happy.

Betty White is unstoppable. 

Watch the sneak preview below on YouTube.

The Balancing Act of Olympic Moms

You may have read my earlier post about  Olympic Moms at the Games in Beijing. Well, the games are almost over now and the mommies have done an outstanding job balancing motherhood and the demands of the Olympics. Congrats to all of them. 

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was going to be watching Dara Torres because she is one super mommy who doesn't give up even as she gets older. The five-time Olympian and mother of 2-year-old Tessa, Dara Torres won three silver swimming medals at age 41! Way to go, girl. So how does motherhood affect their performance? Christine Rampone, co-captain of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team and mother of 2-year-old Riley, says "I'm quicker, faster, stronger than before the baby and it's amanzing. I feel great," according to the TODAYshow.com. I guess Rampone's body tolerates lack of sleep and chasing after a toddler better than I did. Her co-captain Kate Markgraf has another take on the motherhood edge, saying being a mom has made her smarter and calmer. I guess motherhood helps, because these soccer mommies and the rest of Team U.S.A. were golden in Beijing. Team U.S.A. women's soccer team appeared outplayed and undermanned (sounds familiar to most of us moms) during the gold medal match, but they got the final shot they needed and beat Brazil 1-0 to win the gold. Evidently bringing the kids along to the Olympics even helps some of the athletes. (Kudos to their supportive families and friends who help out when mommy is competing.) Three-time gold medalist and pro-basketball star Lisa Leslie takes her 14-month old daughter with her on every game trip. Evidently little Lauren gives her mom the peaceful feeling that she needs to stay calm during competition. 

Hear what the Olympic moms have to say when TODAY Show's Hoda Kotb talks to a few of the moms in the Games in the video clip below.

If I Was in the Olympics...

When I tell people that I was a synchronized swimmer as a kid, I usually get some giggles from my friends. 

I know exactly what they are thinking, "Is that even a sport?"

Yes! And it takes a great deal of training. 

However, all that training does not guarantee success if you are karmicallly-challenged like me. Even with six years of training after school, I still managed to bring some humor to the events. If by some major miracle I was talented enough to make the games, I am sure I would have a wardrobe malfunction. My suit with the gaudy sequins and other not so glamorous decoration was always ripping at the worst moments back in middle and high school competitions. Think holding together neck straps with your teeth to prevent the inevitable. Take away advice: Never wear halter strap suit in competition. Next, I am sure I would swallow too much air between stunts and end up burping. Judges tried to eject an offensive belcher--me--from an event back in high school, but my fellow competitors wouldn't identify the culprit. Thanks, ladies. 

Basically, my debut in the Olympics would probably resemble Matt and Al's synchronized swimming attempts back at Games in Athens. Check out their TODAY Show video below.

Synchronized swimming in Beijing:

You can check out the super talented gals in the synchronized swimming events beginning today. Here's the link for the complete schedule.

To see the photo gallery of synchronized swimming at the Olympics, click here.

Olympic Moms at the Games in Beijing

  Running, dashing, climbing, and jumping are just a few of the mommy events that can make even the most athletic of us feel exhausted by the end of the day. So how do approximately 20 U.S. moms balance the 3 a.m. diaper changes, the carpooling, and the toddler play dates of motherhood with their Olympic dreams? 

Evidently, age is no barrier for many Olympic mommies at the games in Beijing. This makes me wonder, does motherhood make you stronger? I guess the 2008 mommy Olympians are ageless--or at least they keep getting stronger and better over the years. Many of the Olympic moms have attended multiple Olympics. Competing in her fifth Olympic Games of her career, Dara Torres, 41-year-old swimmer and mom of 2-year-old Tessa, is my new hero. She has "retired" a couple of times, but began swimming again during her pregnancy back in 2005. Like many expectant moms, she just wanted to stay in shape. After her daughter was born in April 2006 she decided she decided she was ready to make a comeback. I'll be cheering for her in the 50m free and 4x100m free relay. You go girl!

The age-factor doesn't seem to worry her, Torres already won the distinction of the oldest swimming gold medalist when she won gold at years ago at the young age of 33. She is also the oldest American swimmer to qualify for the Olympics. Plus she is the first to make five Olympic teams.  Although in 2000 Torres was the oldest member of the team USA, this year 56-year-old shooter Libby Callahan will be the oldest member of the Olympic team. 

 

Here are a few Olympic moms I'll be watching: 

Swimming

Dara Torres, 41-year-old mom of 2-year-old Tessa. 

Soccer 

Kate Markgraf, co-captain and mom of Keegan

Christie Rampone, co-captain and mom of Rylie

Softball

Stacey Nuveman, softball catcher and mom of Chase

Jennie Finch, softball pitcher and mom of Ace

Tennis

Lindsay Davenport, mom of Jagger

Track

LaShinda Demus, mom of twin boys born in 2007

Weightlifting

Melanie Roach, 33-year-old mom of 3

Basketball

Lisa Leslie, mom of Lauren

This year you can watch the Olympics from your laptop. Here's the link to download the days highlights: 

NBC Olympics on the Go