Frankie Belanger
Mom of the Month
Hi all, I’m Frankie
Mom to Cam (Camille), who’s almost 2, and Tom (Thomas) who is 7 months.
It’s pretty fitting that I was asked to be mom if the month for March, since my own mother, the most influential person in my life, was born in March, and I myself became a mother in the same month. A little bit of myself before motherhood: I am from Quebec City, Canada, so you’ll generally hear me chatting to the kids in French! I am a true northern gal, I always miss the cold and snow! I love sweets, trash tv and reading. I grew up always active, between soccer and figure skating, we spent our summers camping. I still love to camp and hike, and have been camping with my daughter a few times! Throughout my early 20s, i enjoyed the freedom to travel and experience new things. I then graduated with a Masters in counselling, and shortly thereafter my now husband was offered a job position in the US. We got married in June of 2019 and packed up our lives and said goodbye to friends and family to settle in sunny San Diego in August of the same year. We made the most of our time here pre-kids, traveling through the western US, paddleboarding regularly and adopting our first babies, our cat and dog Jack and Diane.
When my daughter was born, I knew I wanted to stay active, i tried a few different things but I was missing that sense of community and routine. Plus, I was far from family, so loneliness was setting in. I started Fit4mom when Cam was 3 months old, and realized all my nerves around “mom groups” were unfounded. The moms I met were fun, smart, active and ready to both talk about the hard parts of motherhood, but also laugh and be lighthearted. The first workout kicked my butt, and I was instantly hooked. I started coming more often, becoming familiar with the other moms, and then joining the post-class events like lunches and crafts. When Cam was 6 months old, I got pregnant with Tom, and it was so fun to spend my second pregnancy surrounded by so much love and support. The women I met had become friends, and they witnessed my daughter going from tiny infant to walking toddler, then loving big sister. I was lucky to be able to workout until my son came, and I came back to workout as soon as I could, not just for the exercise, but mostly to regain my routine and sense of community. Despite lack of sleep and occasional crankiness (either from me or the kids), I’ve never regretted coming to class. No matter how I show up, I leave feeling supported, having laughed and spent time outdoor. My kids get to see a happy mom, and I get to make sure I take time for myself. I love seeing my kids play with other kids, but also be loved and cherished by the other moms. I feel like I’ve said a lot (not unusual for me), so if you’re up for a chat about just about anything, come say hi :)