For most things in life, experience is the best teacher. We won’t truly learn how to do something until we, well, do it. Even so, there are things about certain experiences I would have liked to have known ahead of time. Things that would have, at the very least, mentally prepared me for what was to come. […]
The Day I Found Out He Was in Love With Someone Else
“Some of the boys have crushes on some of the girls.” I was wrist-deep in dishwater when he said it, scrubbing the remains of the day into the soapy warmth, completely unprepared for a conversation I imagined was still a few years away. Words began to rise in my throat, preparing to bounce off my […]
What Moms Do When Their Kids Are Away
I considered making the only thing in this post the following: Whatever. We. Want. But then I thought I should chronicle my time when the kids are gone this weekend because it’s a strange mixture of thoughts, feelings, and actions that are reminiscent of, yet completely different from, what we used to do before we […]
I Like It When They’re Sick
I like it when they’re sick. When the demands of the day come to a sudden, screeching halt. I like it when they’re sick. When their small bodies lean into mine, heavy and feather light at once. I like it when they’re sick. When it’s completely acceptable, expected even, to stay in our pajamas all day. I […]
When a Stranger Came Calling
I’m always wary when strangers come to the door, so one Saturday when an unfamiliar vehicle pulled into our driveway, I was instantly on alert. When a Stranger Came Calling A young man in his late teens or early twenties, with unkempt, curly hair exited the passenger seat, and an attractive middle aged woman in […]
What Would It Be Like to Raise a Perfect Son?
This time of year always gets me thinking about Mary. Not just about the pictures of her we see in the nativity scenes that pop up everywhere in December, but about what it must have been like to be her. What Would It Be Like to Raise a Perfect Son? Before I go any further, […]
When I’m Not Mom Enough
It’s been one of those weeks. You know what I’m talking about. The ones where the kids seem to be in some twisted competition to see who can make Mom lose it first. I’m sad to say, they’re all in the running. The youngest has developed the disgusting habit of spitting to display her annoyance […]
Week 37: Gone Baby Gone
If this is your first time joining me for the Keeping It Real Challenge, click here to find out what it’s all about. Week 37: Gone Baby Gone I realized something this week. It’s a realization that’s been coming all summer, but it finally crystallized this week. I’ll back up a bit. Every spring since […]
On the hard days, REMEMBER
It’s been a hard day. Kids squawking and squabbling. Too much noise, not enough peace. I remember my first night as a mom. After everyone went home and I was alone with my hours old baby. How I marveled at his silky soft skin. His tiny, perfect features. The way he knew exactly where to […]
Letting go
She is learning that letting go can be scary and exciting, but most of all, necessary.