It's not easy keeping up with a celebrity son. It's not easy keeping up with his mom, either, when she's Claudette Yamin.

The woman who gave birth to "Richmond's own 'American Idol'" just blew back into town Wednesday, having lived in Los Angeles the last six months.

"I went to see if I could rebuild my health," she said. (A broken hip has never fully mended.)

"I did well. I was there for a week and then in the hospital for a week.

"At least I saw a nice new hospital," she said with a laugh.

What Yamin didn't see much of was her elder son, whose budding singing career landed him in L.A. "I saw him about five times while I was there."

But, she quickly added, "I had all three of my kids together for the first time in 18 months, at Christmas."

Younger son Scott Yamin is in pharmacy school at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C. Daughter Jodi Queen lives in San Diego.

But, as of Wednesday, the 65-yearold Yamin is home for good. She's selling her Henrico County condominium and moving to Imperial Plaza.

It's independent living, she said. "The kids don't want me to live alone."

Not that she'll be wearing holes in the retirement community's carpet.

Even while ensconced in Los Angeles, she traveled to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to cheer her son on.

"When Elliott's around, it's like a whirlwind, I can tell you. . . . I couldn't be more excited if it was me."

Apparently mother and son share the running-on-fumes gene. Yesterday, Elliott returned from Germany, part of his USO tour, to Los Angeles. Tomorrow, he flies into Richmond to appear at the JCC Forum at the Collegiate School. (For event details, see page D4.)

Mom will be there, too. And on Sunday, she's having lunch with 35 of Elliott's female fans, aka E-Trainers.

On Thursday, the two will reunite in California to work a diabetes function. They'll be back in Richmond March 1 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Gala. The next day, Elliott leaves for Angola in conjunction with the "Idol Gives Back" charity program.

By the way, Yamin said, Elliott, who has Type 1 diabetes, is in good health.

"He just had a physical, and his numbers were fabulous," she said.

That's a good thing. In addition to all that traveling, he grabs what time he can in the recording studio, does publicity and makes time for his girlfriend.

Elliott's schedule does tire him out, his mother said. "But once he gets on stage, he just takes off."

That's onstage and off. After the Myrtle Beach concert, Yamin said, she found her son with a couple whose teen daughter -- who had sickle-cell anemia -- had fainted after the show.

"He sat one hour and held this little girl's hand and talked to her. She plays drums. He told her don't give up on your dreams and keep practicing."

Elliott is an ambassador, along with "Today's" Al Roker, for Eli Lily's Inspired by Diabetes campaign. And, said his mom, "every cent" of his profit from Elliott-related merchandise buys insulin for children in Third-World countries.

"That makes me so thrilled and so happy. I'm bragging like a mother, but these are the things that make me proud."

Elliott misses Richmond, Yamin said. But she hears the excitement in his voice when he discusses his career.

"I hope it never goes away. I think he still pinches himself from time to time."

So, probably, does the woman whose cell message is a recording of her son's soulful voice. The song? "Movin' On."