A while back I was thinking about how all the moms I know are different in many ways – be it their parenting style, or whether they go to work, stay at home, or work from home. Some have one little person, while others have three or four. Some of our babies began their journey inside us learning the sound of our heartbeat, whilst some began in another only to meet us later and hold our hearts forever. Whatever the differences in how we became moms, how we parent… Being a mom, plus ALL that comes with it, is what we all have in common.

And that’s how I came up with the idea for this feature – an interview with regular moms like you and I. Here we’ll get to “meet” different mommies, and find out a little about them.

This week we meet Carly, our first mommy blogger in this Meet the Mommy series. I’ve been following Carly’s blog for a while now, and I especially love her sense of humor which comes through in her posts. I recently had the chance to meet her in person, at the #JoziMeetup mommy bloggers event, and I’m so happy to feature her here today.

1. Please tell us a little – or a lot (we like details) – about yourself?

I’m at 35 year old married stay-at-home mom of 2 little girls, 2 cats and 2 birds. I’m originally from Zimbabwe (my heart home). I lived in the UK for 10 years where I met my South African husband. We moved back to Africa after we got married, and started our family here. Our girls were born in Zimbabwe, and shortly after my youngest was born we moved to SA. We move a lot due to the nature of the industry my husband works in (Construction) and I’m slowly ticking off the SA provinces I’ve lived in the past four years: Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Northern Cape, and the Free State. I love living in Africa, I am most definitely, a child of Africa. I have also had both hips replaced, nearly two years ago now – best thing I ever did. I am also a huge fan of Grey’s Anatomy and … surprise surprise … Wine! In my spare time (don’t laugh) I do a bit of freelance copy-editing and proofreading. I think that covers almost everything. Maybe a little too much information.

2. What’s the one thing you find most challenging about being a working / stay at home mom?

I’m a Stay-At-Home-Mom for now, I’m waiting for my SA Resident Permit to come through (nearly 2 years waiting now) and then I might consider going back to work part-time, unless my blog takes off and earns me a tonne of cash. I love being available for my kids and family whenever they need me, but it can be quite a lonely life. Contrary to popular belief, us SAHMs don’t actually spend all day gyming, shopping or getting our nails and hair done.

3. We all know there are challenging moments – moments which call for chocolate, or wine (or both), to soothe those mommy nerves… Forgetting all that though, what is your absolute favourite thing about being a mom?

The absolute trust and belief in me that my kids have. They truly believe I can do almost anything they need, except open the over-tight soda bottles. It’s a huge responsibility to live up to but very humbling.

4. From the experience you’ve gained since becoming a parent, what is a pretty cool piece of advice you would give to other moms?

Don’t judge – I’m guessing that’s not cool, but you really shouldn’t judge unless you have all the facts (I think it’s actually very cool, quite brilliant advice Carly). Or if you do, keep it to yourself. I found a cool quote the other day that I had to share on my Instagram – it goes like this:

“Don’t judge people for the choices they make, when you don’t know the options they had to choose from.”

5. Share with us one of the funniest moments you’ve had since becoming a mom.

My kids amuse me constantly. I think it’s especially funny when I hear them repeating my words to each other, scary too. I do put a lot of it up on my blog, but the best that stands out for me wasn’t something they said, it was something they did. We were in the Drakensburg and had spent the day busy doing Zip-Lining and exploring the area. When we got back to the lodge we were staying in, my husband and I were busy unpacking the car and the kids ran ahead of us to the kitchen, absolutely dying of thirst (apparently).  A few minutes later my husband and I walked in to find the eldest daughter on her hands and knees in front of the fridge, with the younger one standing on her back to reach the juice on the higher shelf. It was so funny and clever at the same time, and they were so proud of themselves. I did take a picture of them (ever speedy with my camera phone) and it’s the best example of “Team Crawford” to date.

6. Please tell us where we can find you online:

I’m on my blog, obviously: Mom Of Two Little Girls

Twitter: @momof2lgs

Instagram: @momoftwolittlegirls

Pinterest: momoftwolittleg

Google+: Mom Of Two Little Girls

Thank you Carly for giving us a glimpse into your life as mom of two little girls. 🙂