Sharing Not Comparing
February 14th came and went and my Facebook feed was filled with beautiful Valentines of all kinds. One extremely talented friend had handcrafted little boards for her sweet babies with adjectives describing them. Another busy momma had personally cut scalloped hearts out of organic brown card stock and colored them each unique and ornate. Of course, there was most likely an organic granola bar attached to it as well. I did not post pictures of the Valentine’s my kids brought to their...
Read MoreConfessions: Keeping It Real
When we had our second child everyone we met would gush over the kids and tell us we had the perfect family, a daughter and a son. I remember telling a friend I was pregnant with my third, and her response was, “Oh no!” I assured her that my husband and I were actually quite happy with the news and she quickly back-peddled. It was at that moment I realized that the rest of the world thinks we are off our rockers for wanting a large family. I came from a family of 9 children, so a big...
Read MoreRemember When
There are peals of laughter drifting in from the living room followed by squeals and the patter of little footsteps. I know this is going to end badly, with something broke or someone crying, but I can’t help myself to enjoy the sound of my children enjoying each other. Nothing makes my heart gladder. Mothering is not always filled with moments like these. It is usually the mundane of cooking, cleaning, wiping, teaching, disciplining . . . but enjoying; now that makes it all...
Read MoreAn Apology Letter to My First Born:
An Apology Letter to My Firstborn Child: I recently read an apology letter another parent had written to their second born child, apologizing that he didn’t have a nice baby book or look as put together as the first born (“An Apology Letter to My Second Child” by Jennifer DeMattia). It reminded me of a conversation we had when you were lamenting the fact that you are the first born, recalling the pit falls to your place in our family. It got me thinking from your perspective and you are right....
Read MoreGood Intentions
Good Intentions My husband says that I am great at coming up with systems, but not great at implementing them. I hate to admit it, but he’s right. Being naturally creative, I love to come up with a plan to solve any problem. Storage systems, disciplinary systems, organizational systems, I love them all! However, I often lack the discipline to carry through on implementing them, rendering them useless. My intentions are good, but my focus or effort is lacking. I found this great map idea last...
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