Don't put all your eggs in one basket

I haven’t trained this week at all.  It is super busy at my house with end of year school stuff with my kids and new projects at work have forced me to work later than usual.  Working Mom + two kids + husband + laundry ≠ making it to jiu jitsu class.  May is always one of our busiest months and things have gotten quite crazy at my job, so I’m just going to take this in stride.  I used to fret over missing class.   But I am finding that balance between training and happy home life.  It is important.  My Maw Maw always said, don’t put all your eggs in one basket or you might get disappointed when they break because you will be left with nothing.  She was a pretty wise lady.  So I’m working on balancing my eggs…family, home, work, training.  I will leave you with a story told to me by a coworker a long time ago.  Short, simple, profound.

Mother's Day Magic

Had a really great Mother's Day.  Got three out of the ten on my list.  Sweet!!  Added bonus, got interviewed by Shama Ko for a Mother's Day Article on TXMMMA.com about Moms and Daughters who train jiu jitsu together.  It's a great article, and I am honored to have been included.  Check it out.  Great training tonight with my daughter.  :D

That’s What She Said: A Tribute to The Most Important Women in Our lives, our Mothers

Making it all Work and Mother's Day Magic

I’ve been having a really good week…on and off the mats.  I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s important and trying to find the right balance between work and family and training.  It isn’t always easy for a working Mom, but somehow we manage to make it work.  So, if you are a hard-working Mama who loves to train jiu jitsu, what do you want for Mother’s Day?  While flowers are nice and chocolate is always yummy, and jewelry is pretty, those aren’t things that I want for Mother’s Day. 

Here’s Mrs. Ibarra’s top 10 list of things I want for Mother’s Day: 

1.      A one-hour massage (because our bodies take a beating training BJJ).

2.      Manicure and Pedicure (because our hands and feet take a beating training BJJ).

3.      Cool gi patches or jiu jitsu t-shirts (I have my eye on a Tap Cancer Out patch and I really want one of the new Fenom t-shirts).

4.      While you’re at it, the new Fenom gi…I know I already have too many…but a BJJ Mama can’t have too many gis.

5.      New ink (this isn’t for everyone, but this BJJ Mama wants some new ink). Thanks for the idea Kasey!

6.      A BJJ private lesson with one of my instructors (and the BFF and the daughter are included in this private, because it’s more fun that way).

7.      A chauffer for the next Girls in Gis in Plano…because I commute all week to work and I don’t want to drive on the weekends…but I really want to go to the next Girls in Gis on May 20^th!

8.      Breakfast with the family at my favorite Taqueria!

9.      A day at the beach with a chair and an umbrella and a good book (because sometimes I need to feel my toes in the sand and the sun on my face).

10.   Hugs and kisses and home-made Mother’s Day cards…because even though my kids aren’t little anymore, you can’t have too many hugs and kisses and cards made from the heart. 

Happy Mother’s Day everyone! 

How bad do you want it?

Each and every time I step on the mat to train it comes down to one simple question.  Do I want it more than I am afraid of it? 

Today I will ask myself that question throughout the day.  I will struggle with that question on my long commute home, and I will keep asking it again and again until I step back on the mat to train.  Today I hope the answer is yes.  I want it more than I am afraid of it!