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…
Growing Up & Living the Dream
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” When asked, my oldest has answered a police officer for as long as I can remember. His younger brother chooses firefighter. They’ve gotten in their heads that it’s a team thing, like Chase and Marshall on Paw Patrol, or Chase and Heatwave on Rescue Bots— or whatever other kid show is out there with a cop character named Chase. My boys see themselves as a team; it’s sweet. It remains to be seen what they’ll pursue as they get older and realize there are a million and one opportunities in the world. But asking the question is a fun way…
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…
Deck Building
I’m trying to envision what our deck will be like when it’s finished. I imagine the feel of the smooth wood underneath my feet and picture red-stained boards marking the view outside our patio door instead of the existing shifting concrete and ugly gravel. I envision myself lying on a lounge chair, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the quiet of my backyard— obviously, in this dream, my kids aren’t outside at the same time. I think of how wonderful it will be to wheel our daughter outside instead of two-man lifting her and her chair, all 110 lbs of them, down two stairs that feel massive under the…
Dress for the Season
I smooth my hands down the front of my wine-colored dress, assessing my appearance reflected in the mirror. Does this dress hide my mommy tummy or accentuate it? I twist side to side and look at all sides. The back is lace detailed and stunning, but at a certain angle, my front looks about 2-3 months pregnant, which I am not. I dejectedly pull off the beautiful, yet unflattering dress, and root around in my closet for another. My anniversary is approaching; we are celebrating with a night away and a delicious dinner. I want to dress up and feel pretty, but since I’m planning to eat in abundance, I…
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…
Hello July!
It’s July, my favorite month of the year! It is the month that we celebrate America’s birthday, Flash’s birthday (y’all remember that wild day), my birthday, and my anniversary. When I think of this month, I think of watermelon and sweet tea, sunshine and sunburns, summer vacation and celebrations. My husband gets a little tired of all these dates to recognize, but sorry, not sorry; I love any excuse to eat charcoal-grilled hamburgers and have cake. This year, July is more dear to me than usual. It is month 7 of the calendar year, meaning we did it; we have survived half of 2020 and this crazy roller coaster we’re…
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…
Making Lemonade
Distance learning in a time of coronavirus is officially over. My children and I have survived the work and each other, and now we’re on to sunny days and freedom (ish). In the end, it worked out surprisingly well for our family. My son, who’s task-oriented, did well working through his daily checklist. At the same time, my free-spirited preschooler was able to incorporate learning throughout the day as opportunities naturally arose. Our daughter even practiced her trunk and head control by watching her preschool teachers read books. It’s not how I imagined ending a school year. I’d have assumed that the only way I’d be teaching my kids from…
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…
