Infants & Tweens: Things That Make You Tired
It’s hard to believe that it’s been ten years since I became a mom. I remember those awkward postpartum days, rocked by a whole new way of life. My belly was squishy in a way it’s never recovered from. There was all this weird postpartum hair loss coating my shower wall. And I was exhausted— sleep-deprived and always on the verge of tears about it. I watched my friends with slightly older kids lay their little ones down to bed, and their babies just went to sleep in the crib, just like that. They slept without requiring rocking and singing and tiptoeing out of the room, only to start the…
2021: A Year in Review
Were I to get my act together and send out a Christmas card, this would be it. What We’ve Learned: Supergirl: How to independently (ish) use a pacifier Flash: How to use the potty [Sort of] Wonder Woman: Activating switches with the turn of a head is far easier, and therefore more enjoyable than using hands/arms. Batman: Sounding out words is hard, but reading can be fun. Superman: Multiplication tables 1 through 8 Mom: Parenting odd numbers of children is harder than even numbers Dad: We have an odd number of children? What We’ve Loved: Supergirl: Being constantly entertained by every member of the family. Flash: Everything. Life is…
Messy Vans & the Comfort of Drive-Thrus
Like many moms my age, I have a minivan, and I love her. Though a look at the trash piling up on flat surfaces, crusty French fries in crevices, and spilled sticky-something in the back right cup holder might give you a different impression. I feel slightly guilty about the mess she’s in, and I’ve started giving myself half-hearted mental reminders about her biannual cleaning. But truthfully, the mess is part of the reason I love my van. There are French fries everywhere because it’s the perfect place for meals on the go. Straw wrappers float around like confetti from the delicious iced chais and sweet teas I’ve consumed while…
Lightbulb Moments in Parenting & Life
My son looked at me with his serious face, dark eyes locked on mine. He repeated words I had just told him with a “yes ma’am” tacked on for good measure. Then, the moment they were out of his mouth, he jumped off-topic, stringing words together in a run-on sentence. “Listen to you, wait until you say so, yes ma’am, I think I know what the answer was.” “We’re not talking about the answer right now,” I said sternly. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply through my nose, forcing myself to stay calm. I was trying to help my oldest son with schoolwork while juggling other things on my…
Back to School-ish and Family Traditions
Every year on the first day of school, while my kids are munching on cereal and getting ready, I can be found in my pajamas, complete with messy hair and socks with flip-flops, coloring on my driveway with rainbow-colored chalk. I do a giant letter/number outline for each child, filling it in with their name, school, and teacher. I also ask my kids what they want to be when they grow up, and I include whatever answer they give me, especially when that answer makes me chuckle. This year’s surprise answers were tow truck driver and “fighting Army guy.” Despite the nontraditional beginning of schoolyear 20/21, I stuck with our…
Good Enough
I lay back in the warm water, body cradled by my pool float. I close my eyes to the blinding sun and feel its heat across my skin. Living thousands of feet high in elevation makes the sun feel more intense. A comfortable 89 at sea level feels different in this dry heat, and I can feel my skin absorb the invisible rays. Bobbing in the water, eyes closed, my mind relaxes. It’s like I become detached from the space, even though I’m listening to the raucous sounds my sons make as they splash near me. I imagine I’m in the bay, my favorite place, and feel the motion created…
Best Mommy Ever
“You’re the best mommy ever!” My five-year-old exclaims as he gives me a big hug for consenting to his most recent request. His eyes light up, and he excitedly runs off to enjoy an afternoon donut snack; my little boy loves sweets and his happy smile will soon be smeared with chocolate icing. But don’t go getting the wrong impression; I am not actually the best mommy ever. Give me about 15 minutes during which time I will scold that child for fighting with his brother and deny his next request, and this will quickly become the “worst day ever.” His eyes will fill with tears, and his beautiful smile…
Snapshot of a Mom
Motivated by sun and optimism that the cold days are past us, I begin digging through drawers and root out sweaters, long sleeve shirts, and pants, and I pair them down to a few ‘just in case’ items. I pull out the bins of hand-me-downs and marvel at the difference a year has made. Growth spurts caused favorite t-shirts to shrink, and they now get tucked away in storage. One of my children catches me in the act, and tears flow as he laments passing down a shirt two sizes too small for him. I attempt to console him as I carefully refold and tuck away the outgrown items, separating…
Bubble Baths & Long Talks
My hands felt sweaty on the microphone, and there was a faint shake to them, a combination of coffee and nerves. Some people have fantastic stage presence, they step in front of a crowd, and a dynamic alter ego breaks through. Me, not so much. I was my usual brand of sincerity, awkward authenticity, and random movie quotes. I did it anyway. I stood on the small stage in front of 20 some women and shared my heart and God’s wisdom. I spoke about self-care, which I would never have imagined wanting to talk about, let alone fill 45 minutes of time on. After all, the topic and I have…
Sheer Hubris
There’s a moment at the end of the day when the commotion stops. When the whack-a-mole game of getting our kids to bed– and keeping them there– has been won, and the prize is stillness. Silence slowly descends as the baby stops babbling, big brothers stop talking in their beds, and even the dogs have curled up to sleep and stopped clicking their paws on hardwood floors. As the day winds down, I finalize things for the evening, making sure dishes are clean and put away, and that shoes aren’t lying in hallways as middle-of-the-night tripping hazards. My mind takes this opportunity to go into overdrive. It seems when my…
