I am living the happiest and most fulfilling life. I feel like the luckiest lady in the world. I also have major depressive disorder and that juxtaposition can be hard for some people to understand. Sometimes when I share information about how my depression manifests people are surprised. Others pity me, tell me they’re sorry, or get annoyed “hearing about how sad I am” (sidebar: … Continue reading A Dip.
Today my three year old self-reflected for the first time in her life. Or, maybe she didn’t. But for the first time ever, she shared her self-reflection with me. That – for sure – is true. That’s the amazing thing about having kids. You get to witness their first-evers and those first-evers last……forever? I don’t know the expiration date on that but while it … Continue reading I’ve Been Giving My Threenager a Bad Rap
Last week I felt like I was constantly rushing. Rushing downstairs when I woke up to make the coffee and get myself ready. Rushing to rouse the girls and help them get dressed and brush their hair. Rushing out the door and heading to daycare drop-off – making sure I pulled into the parking lot precisely at 7:15. I knew I had a one minute … Continue reading Stay With Me – Ignoring That Pile of Dishes In My Sink
Baby Grouch is still small but she isn’t really a baby anymore. She pretends she is a waitress and asks, “What would you like today?” and she says, “This is my coffee.” as she takes a swig of milk from her sippy cup. She “reads” her favorite books – We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Baby Giggles and Brown Bear, Brown Bear. She’s heard them … Continue reading A Fading Heart
Full of a stroller handle in one and a small palm in the other when I walk into a store. Full of an infant that I balance on one knee as I squat in the stall, and toddler arms wrapped around me to keep from falling into the toilet that she needs to use five minutes after we walk in. Full of dishes that I put … Continue reading My Hands Are Full
I dropped my girls off at daycare the other day and watched two-year-old Toddler Grouch take of her boots and put them in the basket at the bottom of the closet. She unzipped her coat and laid it on the floor before grabbing a hanger off of the bar purposely positioned at half the usual height. She folded her coat’s arms around the ends of … Continue reading Moms Aren’t The Only Ones Out There Mothering
There are a lot of days I screw up. But today was not one of them, even though it could have been. After work I had a doctor appointment, and then I picked up the kids from daycare and we went straight to the grocery store. I knew I was pushing it, but my kids are pretty good and I brought diapers and snacks. I … Continue reading Today I Did Good.
Building strength can be hard. The first part is deciding to get stronger. That’s really the hardest part, even though it doesn’t even involve a workout regime. It’s just a mindset, at first, a determination to make improvements to who we are. Until it becomes habit, reminders are needed. Sticky notes that say, “go work out!” and a calendar on the fridge with the workout plan on … Continue reading The Gratitude Muscle
As a working mom, I have a love/hate mentality about leaving my kids in someone else’s care for what amounts to about 40% of the time my child is awake, each week. Sometimes there are things I think should be done differently, sometimes I question how well I really know what is going on there when I’m not around, and sometimes I have concerns about the sheer … Continue reading These Are The Reasons I Am Thankful For My Childcare Providers
Toddlers can get a bad rap. It is true that they have no real means of regulating their emotions, which can sometimes result in tantrums that are shockingly intense, often over matters involving having to put on pants or to wash peanut butter out of their hair, or perhaps over being asked to take a bite of macaroni. As erratic and annoying as these behaviors can … Continue reading “The Moon Got Turned Off”, and Other Reasons Being the Parent of a Toddler is Awesome
A Morning Grouch 