Guest Blogger: Kimberly Michelle

I have been reading Kim's blog for as long as I can remember! I absolutely love this post where she announced her pregnancy, and how they told their families! She is wife to Mr. M and mama to Baby L (who is getting SO big and adorable!) and bleeds gold and blue for UCLA.

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When you’re a working mom, the car becomes a special place between a parent and a child. It’s not just a vehicle to transport you from one place to another, but instead it’s the spot where you say hello and goodbye to your child ten times a week. And because of that, it becomes an extra special place.

It’s a dance party. It’s a sing-a-long. It’s a place to share your secrets. It’s a spot to giggle. It’s where you give eskimo kisses and big giant smooches. It’s a firing range for shoes and any other objects within reach. It’s a crazy crazy place to be.



The second she’s buckled into the car seat she gets a big kiss, going in or going out. It’s an easy place to squeeze some love in… and I make sure I do it every time.

Then there’s the music. Whether it’s bright and early in the morning or late in the afternoon, if Miss L is in the car the radio is tuned to SIRIUS/XM’s Kids Place Live. Even if it’s just for 10 minutes, we sing and boogie along to the music on the radio. And if there’s talking on the radio, then we stop and have a little conversation of our own as we drive along. And if it’s a really annoying song, we switch to On Broadway! where her mom can really go nutso and belt out a tune.



I always asked her questions as we drove along on our short little rides to and from home, but now I get answers.

“Where is our house from here?”

“There!”

“What is over in those fields?”

“Sharaamem” (her word for strawberries)



And the best gift I can give her to show my love is a simple gesture. I open up the sunroof and let the sunshine and wind into the car.

“OUTSIDE!! OUTSIDE!!” she points and squeals with delight. “Outside” is by far her favorite place to be, so bringing it into the car is some sort of magical experience for her, even if it’s just for a few minutes.



And if it’s too hot for “outside” then we just blast the REAR a/c and go crazy!

Now, sure, lots of parents get to experience these things daily without even a second thought, but usually the car is just a way to get to another place. And for many parents, it’s not a fun way to do it. I’m not quite sure that I ever consciously decided to make it more than what it looks to be… but I can tell you that I look forward to our “mini commute to school” each and every day.



I can’t wait until I can trade the car for a walk or bike ride with her to school… then we can both enjoy OUTSIDE and even sing some tunes that maybe others can hear.

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I love this post! So sweet! You can find Kim's blog here or follow her on Twitter- @kim_michelle. Thanks so much, Kim!