Tonight, in a VERY typical episode in our home, my two girls, age 3 and 6, came running into the house screaming from the backyard. It was 6 pm, but very dark with this blasted time change so I kinda sorta figured they were spooked about something. I was right - on their way down the concrete stairs that lead away from the swingset, the girls had convinced themselves (in a ...
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5 Easy Ways To Manage Your Child’s Artwork
"Move the tree made of tiny little handprints!" I yelled to my husband as my coffee started getting ever closer to the crinkled tan page with various shades of red, yellow and orange. "Which one?!!" he quickly yelled back. I had just knocked over my drink and as usual, my island (along with my desk and kitchen table) were covered with various pieces of artwork, spelling tests, and ...
A Christmas Makeover
Toys, food, parties, gifts, shopping, children laughing, school break.... STRESS!!!! Lately, the latter is all that Christmas has meant for me for really the past several years. Don't get me wrong, there have been wonderful times spent with my family and friends. I've enjoyed parades and church services and the smiles of my children. But looming over ALL of this has ...
When Your Birthday Was Mine
"Happy Birthday Bryan!" his mom happily yelled into the phone...it was 8 pm the night of July 6th, my husband's 36th birthday. "Thanks Mom," he returned quickly, with a yawn, worn out from a full day's work, helping with bedtime and baths for Hannah and Hazel, thinking about all the work ahead of him tomorrow. "Gosh Bryan, I've been trying to get in touch with you all day...I kept ...
Day 31 Learning To Let Go
"Bye! Have fun!" I yelled with my happiest smile plastered on my face. "I'll be back in a few hours to pick you up. Love you bunches!" Hannah looked back briefly to wave but quickly turned her attention to her friends in the car, on their way out to eat for her friend's birthday party. No big deal for most parents maybe but a HUGE one for me. This was the ...
Day 30 Tell Your Kids You Are A Failure
"I stink at this!" I yell across the room at my oldest as she's crying on her bed and I'm standing at the door. The red handprint on her bare hip is glistening, almost screaming at me to remind me what an awful mom I am. Let me tell you, I don't need the reminder. Hannah is only 3 and in a particularly trying day, she has not been listening at all. The final straw came as ...
Day 29 You Cannot Buy Their Happy
Kids ask for a LOT of "things" don't they? Toys, games, movies, candy! It's at the store, on tv, in Sunday's paper. THINGS are everywhere aren't they? And they want a piece of it...that happiness, that joy, that whatever the crap is being promised to them on tv once they have that.one.extra.thing. Real life is kinda like that too isn't it? I mean, we think once we ...
Day 28 Quit Trying To Be That Other Mom
So you’re reading this blog series to BE a better mom right? Well, for starters, you need to quit trying to be that other mom. You know, the perfect mom you think you know. We all know the perfect mom. I mean, don't we??! The one whose hair is always perfect and outfit always matches. The one whose kids are always perfectly behaved with yes ...
Day 27 Be A Good Daughter
Want to know how to be a better mom? Start with Day 27 Be A Good Daughter. To truly raise our children with love and direction, we should look back on our own mother's efforts to do the same thing. Whether she did it "wrong" or "right", you can still be a "good" daughter. So it's almost Halloween and both my girls' brain power has been funneled almost exclusively to thoughts of ...
Day 25 You Don’t Have To Love Your Kids The Same
Loving your kids equally but uniquely is the basis for Day 25 You Don't Have To Love Your Kids The Same. Because our kids ARE different - in attitude, aptitude and appearance. Why would we think it's okay to love them the same? "You love Sara more than me!" "Anna NEVER does anything wrong...I guess I'm just your worst child!" "You never pay me any attention once baby ...
