MCM: Dinah Babcanec

    

    Suburban stay-at-home mom during the day, band member by night! She runs 11 miles on Sundays and has her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography. She's basically every young mom's role model, and she's MY sister. Dinah has been surrounded by music her entire life, and finally after 32 years she has faced her fears and stepped out of her comfort zone. She is an inspiration in my life and after reading this, I know she will also be one on yours.

Singing is new for you, what inspired you to step out of your comfort zone and try something new?

Really there was one big push and motivating factor and that was my brother, Dan. I have been so proud of him and his musical and academic achievements my entire life and was pretty flattered that he wanted to start making music with me. I had to try it if not for the simple fact of respect. Thankfully, from that first vocal practice together down in my basement our voices really meshed and we felt like there was enough potential to start practicing regularly. It had been a long time since I attempting something completely new that directly involved other people too. Playing in our band and learning every time I pick up my electric ukulele continues to put me a vulnerable position. Sometimes it's scary, especially my first time playing a show, but scary in the best way.

 

Why is it important for you to have other "mom friends" in your life?

I'm lucky to have been pregnant my first time around with my best friend. She was due with her second child just two weeks after I was due with my first. I am so blessed with good friends who are so supportive and who I can go to with any questions or just to vent. And now, I'm in the process of meeting and starting friendships with a whole new group of mom friends through my son being in kindergarten. I was so excited for him to go to school and thrive, and the community of great families that we're now a part of is such a bonus that I wasn't necessarily expecting! Being a stay-at-home mom to very young children gets lonely sometimes. Even the brief comments to another mom at the library can be a much needed human connection. It can be hard. "Mom friends" are a necessity, but so are "single friends". It's nice to go out and not talk about your kids too!

Why do you love to run?

I always think about something I heard a few years ago- It's not the running I love, it's the being done with the run that I love. That pretty much sums it up. It's a work-out that I've always been good at so why not stick with it and try to go big with it.

 

What inspires/motivates you to be a good mother?

My husband, my mother, my kids, my friends, my family. My mother was a great mom growing up. She taught me to sew, bake, play outside, have respect and precision, proper grammar, among others that only moms know how to do. I have wonderful childhood memories that positively effect how I raise my kids today. However, when I was about 13 years-old she moved two states away. From me, her only daughter who was at a critical age. We still saw each other fairly frequently and at the time it was actually fun to have a place to go visit. But that was just the beginning of a painful journey with her. When she passed away when I was 25 and engaged, I made the conscious choice to transition to adulthood. To "stop" being a daughter, who had been hurt by things outside of her control, and start fresh as a woman. A wife, and soon, a mom who can do everything in her power to make it a happy life. So probably my biggest day-to-day motivation is my own mother. I carried with me the good things and left behind the bad.

 

How do you balance your time between your family, training for marathons, spending time with friends and your band?

Being able to stay home with my kids is a big factor when it comes to fitting everything in. I'm able to manage my time more catered to what needs to be done that day or week and I'm very thankful for that. I have so much respect for full-time working moms who have their shit together. I'm pretty good at keeping a balance-mostly because I crumble under stress. I try to avoid "bad" stress at all costs. So with the help of mostly my husband and our good neighbors, I'm able to get out during the evenings for running, band practice, yoga, dinner with friends, etc. It's all vital to my sanity.  

Do you have any future goals?

The awesome thing about life is that you are never done. Same goes for playing music, running, practicing yoga, being a good mother, wife and friend- there is ALWAYS room for improvement. There is always new hope. Yesterday I mastered the unassisted headstand in yoga which felt good. It's little things like that. If you make all the little moments and decisions matter, it adds up to a good life. So sometimes my next goal is to get through the day without losing my cool, and sometimes it's a half-marathon.

 XOXO,

Thee Inspired Mommy