By BECKY ANDREWS
Claire Huxtible, Edith Bunker, Morticia Adams, even Roseanne Connor would gasp in disbelief at any episode of “The Real Housewives” franchise. Most of you reading this right now have probably fallen under the dysfunctional spell of at least one of those big city cast members. If not, you are way smarter than me.
So let me prepare you for our take on the term, “REAL.” Unlike the housewives featured on Bravo, the women you are being introduced to don’t throw punches at cocktail parties and they actually have jobs. Which is why we thought it would be fun to take a look at six local (and real) women, who somehow managed to find the time to talk about what the life of a “housewife” looks like today and how they prepare for the new school year.
Special thanks to the following people and businesses for their assistance: Dreams Boutique, The Crystal Couture, kate spade new york-The Mall at Green Hills, Belk-Mt. Juliet, Nicole with The Beauty Boutique, Jana Pastors-Kindred Moments Photography, Erin Brown, Sam Fernandez (kate spade new york), Shannon Hargis, Zack Owensby, and Goodall Homes Stone Bridge Community.
ANDREA LAMBERSON – Watertown TN
Andrea Lamberson and children – $35 Dress Dreams Boutique $39.99 Necklace, Crystal Couture
Between raising four daughters, assisting her husband with their thriving business (Randy’s Heating & Air), and keeping up with everyone’s extra-curricular activities, it’s safe to say, Watertown resident, Andrea Lamberson knows a thing or two about balancing work and family. Even though she doesn’t always succeed with keeping the pendulum steady, Andrea wouldn’t trade her super busy schedule for the world.
WLM: Four girls?
Andrea: Yes! Autumn is 14, Avery is 10 and our twins, Hadlee and Preslee are 7. My husband doesn’t stand a chance, even our dog is a girl.
WLM: What’s one thing/person you can’t live without during the school year?
Andrea: My mother….without a doubt!! Not just during the school year, but always. She’s an amazing woman and is my “Go To” when I’m stressed, overwhelmed or just need to talk.
WLM: When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up?
Andrea: I wanted to be a phlebotomist. I’m not sure why with my fear of needles. I am a Master Barber by trade and fill in when needed at a local shop in town.
WLM: What is the greatest gift you have ever received?
Andrea: My children! Being a Mother is a treasure.
WLM: What television show best depicts your life?
Andrea: I don’t watch a lot of television, however, my children say it is “Good Luck Charlie” but with a lot of girls.
WLM: Your biggest splurge?
Andrea: It would have to be redecorating my home….I am addicted! It’s really hard for me to walk away from a “good deal.”
WLM: What is your secret shame or silly indulgence?
Andrea: This would have to be my “BUNCO” group. There are 12 of us that get together once a month for a much needed girls night. We have so much fun and it’s something that I always look forward to.
WLM: Your leadership style?
Andrea: I try not to expect more of others than I am willing to give of myself.
WLM: My Motto?
Andrea: “Life is too short not to be happy”
WLM: What does MOM mean in 2013?
Andrea: I feel that MOM means the same today as it always has-loving your children unconditionally.
WLM: What helps you prepare for the new school year with the girls?
Andrea: Maintaining a schedule to an extent helps with the transition. Adding in a trip to the nail salon is always good with a house full of girls.
WLM: What keeps you on task?
Andrea: My friends! I have a fantastic group of friends. We are together a lot and help each other out all of the time. Whether it is grocery shopping, cleaning each other’s houses, shampooing carpets or planting flowers, it is always more fun with friends…and mine are amazing!
ANGELA HOLLAND – Hartsville TN
Angela Holland with 2 of her children – $24 Earrings, Belk $36 Necklace, Belk $26 White tank, Belk $68 Pants, Ann Taylor $49 Wrap Top, Belk
Her oldest child is a recent MTSU graduate and her two youngest are completing their undergraduate studies at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville. With all the kids out of the house, some may refer to Angela Holland of Trousdale County as an “empty nester.” But that doesn’t mean she’s sitting at home wondering what to do with her spare time. These days Angela has very little free time since she and her husband decided to take advantage of this time to open a business both had dreamed about. In 2011, the Holland’s opened Creekbank Restaurant in Hartsville, Tennessee. Creekbank is a traditional meat and 3 restaurant that’s quickly become a town favorite.
While she enjoys this stage of her life, Angela still makes time for her children, and has learned that you are never too old to learn about balance.
WLM: How old are your children?
Angela: Mitch 26, Kyle 21, Shelby 19.
WLM: Where do they go to school?
Angela: Mitch graduated from MTSU. Kyle and Shelby attend TN TECH.
WLM: What is the one person/thing you can’t live without during the school year?
Angela: Cell phone, being able to pick up the phone at any time and talk to one of my kids makes keeping up with them a lot easier.
WLM: What TV show best depicts your life?
Angela: Modern day Brady Bunch.
WLM: If you wrote a newspaper column about your adventure as a working mom, what would you call it?
Angela: Out of the frying pan, and into the fire! As a mother of three you go from one adventure right into the next.
WLM: What is your leadership style?
Angela: I like being involved with the process. I also work better under pressure.
WLM: What is your motto?
Angela: Family, Friends and Food (my three favorite things).
WLM: What does MOM mean in 2013?
Angela: Being a mom in 2013 means being involved, knowing what your kids are up to, who they are running around with. Children today have a lot more to deal with than when I was in school, so as a mom we need to be able to listen and be involved.
WLM: What keeps you on task?
Angela: To keep me on task you have to have a goal and a deadline.
HEATHER VALLETT – Lebanon TN
Heather Vallett and daughter Morgan – Heather $28 Necklace, Belk $428 Dress, Kate Spade $38 Bracelet, Belk Morgan (daughter) $10 Scarf, Dreams Boutique
While Lebanon resident, Heather Vallett is adamant about classroom achievement, she values the role of organized sports. In fact, on any given day or night you will likely find her cheering on 14 year-old daughter, Morgan at a volleyball match or softball game or taking her to and from practices. When they are not busy with homework and sports, Heather, her husband, Jeff and Morgan make family time a priority. With Morgan entering her first year of high school in just a few weeks, setting a predictable schedule is what helps Heather keep the whole family on track and helps her enjoy every minute with her “growing up way too fast,” daughter .
WLM: Where does Morgan go to school?
Heather: She will be a freshman at Friendship Christian School, sniff!
WLM: What’s the one person/thing you can’t live without during the school year?
Heather: Anyone with kids would say GOOGLE!
WLM: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Heather: A teacher.
WLM: What is the greatest gift you have received?
Heather: My daughter.
WLM: What television show best depicts your life?
Heather: The Middle….Patricia Heaton…no explanation needed if you’ve seen the show!
WLM: If you wrote a newspaper column about your adventures as a working mom, what would you call it?
Heather: Still crazy after all these years!
WLM: What is your secret shame or silly indulgence?
Heather: It wouldn’t be a secret if I told you!
WLM: Your leadership style?
Heather: Pure and simple; honesty.
WLM: What is your motto?
Heather: Do as I say, not as I do:)
WLM: Most embarrassing moment?
Heather: Too many to mention
WLM: What does “mom” mean in 2013?
Heather: Being a parent these days you have to be involved in your kids’ lives, and their friends. Parenting comes first but you also have to be a friend by listening to your kids and giving them advice to point them in the right direction. It’s a juggling act but one that can be your greatest accomplishment.
WLM: What helps you prepare for the new school year with your daughter?
Heather: I think a couple of new outfits helps get the school year off to a good start with the kids. For parents, a little alcohol helps you deal with them being another year older. FRESHMAN… really?! Not ready for this! Thanks for making me think about it, Becky!
WLM: What keeps you on task?
Heather: My calendar on my iPhone. As many alerts I put in there for appointments, if I forget then I’m just plain stupid
PENNY AUSTERMILLER – Mt Juliet TN
Penny Austermiller and daughters – $248 Top, Kate Spade $98 Pants, Ann Taylor
It’s 7am and Penny has Joslin and Julia, ages six and four, out of bed and at the breakfast table. After breakfast, Penny takes the girls to school and she heads to Austermiller Roofing where she oversees the business her husband, Roger started more than a decade ago.
Growing up in Dickson, Tennessee, Penny fondly recalls a childhood that included organized sports, waterskiing and blistering in the hot summer sun. A few years after graduating from MTSU, Penny met Roger and they set up housekeeping in Mt Juliet. With their home a stone’s throw from Old Hickory Lake, you can find Penny, Roger and their girls most weekends aboard their boat.
WLM: Where do your children go to school/preschool?
Penny: Friendship Christian School
WLM: What’s the one person/thing you can’t live without during the school year?
Penny: My mom
WLM: What television show best depicts your life?
Penny: I don’t think there is one. Besides, if it’s not a cartoon I’ve probably not seen it.
WLM: If you wrote a newspaper column about your adventures as a working mom, what would you call it?
Penny: Where’s my iPhone? My two children are always playing with it.
WLM: Your biggest splurge?
Penny: Personal trainer
WLM: Your leadership style?
Penny: Direct
WLM: What is your motto?
Penny: Think positive
WLM: What does “mom” mean in 2013?
Penny: Being a mom is the most magical & rewarding experience in the world but it’s also the most demanding. I grew up with three brothers so I was told I couldn’t do some things because I was a girl. I want my girls to know they can be or do anything.
ADRIENNE KELLEY – Carthage TN
Adrienne Kelley and children – $398 Dress, Kate Spade $16 Earrings, Belk Cool Springs Mall
As a fulltime Nurse Anesthetist, with a six year-old son, Nolan and four year-old daughter, Maggie Kate, you would think Adrienne Kelley would be running in circles to make things happen. Luckily, she has mastered the art of stress relief (oh yes, she and her husband also competes in obstacle races across the country) and has come to expect the unexpected.
Like just last month when she and her husband, Jamie and their kids were trying to pose for a family portrait and Maggie Kate, found a mud puddle and decided to decorate her new outfit into a nice muddy work of art.
Today, when the going gets a little rough, Adrienne simply channels her mom who taught her to always be real.
WLM:What’s the one thing you can’t live without during the school year?
Adrienne: My iPhone
WLM: What television show best depicts your life?
Adrienne: I don’t watch a lot of television outside of Disney or Nick Jr.
WLM: If you wrote a newspaper column about your adventures as a working mom, what would you call it?
Adrienne: Don’t make me pull this car over!
WLM: Your biggest splurge?
Adrienne: Clothes. For me and the kids. But especially me.
WLM: What is your secret shame or silly indulgence?
Adrienne: Napping. Seriously, it never happens but every once in a while I’ll get home from a late night at the hospital and everyone is still in school. Even if it’s just 20 minutes, it’s like heaven!
WLM: Your leadership style?
Adrienne: Direct
WLM: What is your motto?
Adrienne: I have to have a motto?
WLM: Most embarrassing moment?
Adrienne: I usually mentally block out any moment where I look bad.
WLM: What does “mom” mean in 2013?
Adrienne: It means the same thing now as it has for generations… underappreciated!
WLM: What helps you prepare for the new school year?
Adrienne: My husband, Jamie! He’s an Assistant Principal at Carthage Middle School and he keeps me in the loop on everything.
WLM: What keeps you on task?
Adrienne: My husband!
JULIE CLEMENT – Lafayette TN
Julie Clement and daughter Shelby – Shelby (daughter) $33.99 Necklace, Crystal Couture
For more than two decades, Julie Clement has homeschooled her four children. The oldest two, Meagan and Hannah recently graduated from college and her son, Holland will be entering his third year at Trevecca Nazarene University. That leaves 14 year old, Jessie as Julie’s final student at home. When she’s not busy shuttling Jessie to and from the recording studio, sporting events and of course, teaching, Julie tutors an English writing class, spends one day a week as an elderly caregiver and works from home as a media rep for Triple 1070. It’s safe to say that Julie knows a thing or two about handling the stress of a new school year.
WLM: What’s the one person/ thing you can’t live without during the school year?
Julie: Internet access! I am an information gatherer and greatly appreciate having the world at my fingertips.
WLM: When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Julie: Either an actress or a businesswoman. 🙂
WLM: What is the greatest gift you have received?
Julie: My children!
WLM: If you wrote a newspaper column about your adventures as a working mom, what would you call it?
Julie: The Great Adventure OR Never a Boring Moment.
WLM: Your biggest splurge?
Julie: Paying for Classical Conversations Challenge program can seem quite pricey for homeschooling but certainly not compared to private school tuition.
WLM: What is your secret shame or silly indulgence?
Julie: Well, I wouldn’t really call it secret or silly, but some might consider it indulgent. In certain cases, I “bribe” my children with “big bucks” to accomplish a goa or to participate in something that they wouldn’t naturally want to be involved in.
WLM: Your leadership style?
Julie: I hate to admit this, but I’m often in “drill sergeant” mode.
WLM: What is your motto?
Julie: Work before play.
WLM: What does “mom” mean in 2013?
Julie: Well, for me, it definitely does not mean “Made of Money” 🙂 but rather “Mother on a Mission.”
WLM: What helps you prepare for the new school year with your daughter?
Julie: Having the summer off and reading good literature!
WLM: What keeps you on task?
Julie: To be honest, I’m not always on task, but I find that ROUTINE is my treasured friend during the school year.
