Scary!
I was sitting in the living room, working on my laptop, when my daughter Callie excitedly announced that she had just painted her brother and sister’s faces with clown make-up. Trying to finish a message, I didn’t look up immediately…
The Pressure
In the last year or two, several of my close friends have entered the world of motherhood for the first time. As I went to the baby showers, visited the proud (and very exhausted) parents and babies in the hospitals,…
Separation: Anxiety or Just Variety?
I just finished a week of separation from my three children. One went to her first overnight camp, and the other two spent the week with their grandparents. There were mixed emotions during this time, for sure. I mean, I…
Mama Maverick
It started out like any other Saturday morning… I’m lying. It was nothing like any other Saturday morning. I woke up with a migraine. The whole back half of my head throbbed and felt like it weighed 67 pounds. While…
Not According to Plan
It was the first time in my then-nine years of motherhood that all of my children were to have ongoing scheduled activities, of which I was not to be a part. Honestly, this was pretty exciting to me. Now that…
A Decade and a Decision
My firstborn just turned 10. “I can’t believe it” is my normal reaction to her birthday. As all parents told me it would, the time has truly flown by. Wasn’t it “just yesterday” that I was rocking her, spoon-feeding her…
Nose-to-Nose, Heart-to-Heart
Recently I had to have a difficult “nose-to-nose” conversation with my daughter. She was having a lot of trouble admitting that she was wrong about something, and Kevin and I had been noticing that this issue with her had been…
My Little Pony
When my daughter Callie was two years old, our friend Kari gave her a toy for Christmas. “Oh, Callie! It’s My Little Pony!” I exclaimed as she opened the package. Very confused, little Callie looked up at me and said,…
A Tribute to Tradition
It’s hard to tell when traditions actually begin or why they begin. I just know my family has them, especially around Christmastime. First of all, we insist on having a live tree. I’d like to say we go to a…
On Parenting Yourself
Here’s what I’ve discovered: My firstborn daughter is the most like me. Here’s what else I’ve discovered: She is quite often the most difficult child for me to parent. And I think I know why. So many of the things…
