Miami Moms Blog Welcomes: MIA Mom Amy Stone

Hello Miami Moms! My name is Amy. I moved to Miami when I was in my 20s on a whim, and I stayed because I love it. I am a mom to 2 teenagers and step-mom to 2 grownups.  Raising a blended family in Miami is a wild and wonderful ride and I look forward to sharing some of my adventures with you here on Miami Moms Blog.

Miami

I moved to Miami immediately after I finished college. True story: I moved here because the guy I was dating at the time lived here. With the wisdom that comes with age, I can look back and say that maybe that wasn’t the best reason to make a big move like that. At the time, the draw of the sun, sand, and beaches was really strong. I had no job, nowhere else to be, and I had no idea that it would be a permanent move. Who knew?

This was 1996. When I had started college I thought my life dream was to work for a newspaper but by the time I graduated I decided I didn’t actually like that plan at all. When I got to Miami my plan at the time was to apply to graduate schools. That was my entire plan. I got a job at a coffee shop in Coral Gables. It was called Java Centrale and it didn’t offer cortaditos or cafe con leche. Also, it just wasn’t Starbucks so it was short lived. On a referral from my boss at the coffee shop, I applied to a local tech company and was hired into their marketing department. 

Long story short, I didn’t marry the guy that I moved to Miami for. Nope. I didn’t go to grad school. Nope. I did get a great job with a growing company. And I did fall in love with Miami and decide that it was terrific fun to be single in my 20s in Miami. 

Mom

Time passed. I met and married my husband and got two amazing step kids in that merger/acquisition. In 2003 I became a full-fledged mom with the birth of my daughter and began the rollercoaster of navigating motherhood. In 2006 my son was born, and voila! My blended family was complete. 

Again, long story short–diapers, no sleep, nursing, pediatrician appointments, play-dates, new mom friends, pre-school admissions, princess dresses, second baby, boy stuff, broken legs, Star Wars characters, birthday parties, trips to Disney, swimming lessons, food allergies, elementary school selection. Ugh. Moving to a bigger house, new schools, reading, common core math, science fair, piano lessons, after-school activities, sleep away camp, and middle school selection. Double ugh. High school admissions (how did we get here?), student driver permit–and that brings us to where I am now. Somewhere along the way, I added some wrinkles and grey hair and I totally blame my kids.

Blog

It’s weird to think of myself as an experienced mom because I’m still learning.  How can I be a voice of experience? It’s new every day and it’s constantly changing. The list of moms who’ve helped me over the past 15 years is too long to even consider. The same circle of moms who I asked about diaper rash is who I still call weekly to ask questions about teen life. If I can pay that back to new moms in any way that will be a great feeling.

Miami is unique and very different from the cities where I grew up. Still, I have found that Miami is a wonderful, enriching community for my family. I am eager to share how we make that work.

Outside of motherhood one of my passions is triathlon and running. The fitness community in Miami welcomed me almost immediately after I got here and has become my extended family. I truly believe that Miami has one of the best running communities in the world. Running was an outlet for me before I became a mom. As a mom, it has given me strength and balance to help navigate my daily life. When my kids were babies the jogging stroller was my ticket out of the house. Now my runs are my sacred me time in a crazy busy life.  I look forward to sharing how I keep it all somewhat together on Miami Moms Blog.