Growing Up

  So much negative has happened recently in the world. There has been so much death and tragedy. The news and Internet is full of loss and fear-provoking heartache. With all of that, the judgment, ridicule, and finger-pointing begin. I have read the most horrendous, judgmental things in the last few weeks and not only is it unnecessary, it is pointless and uncalled for. Instead, let's just be grateful. When I say "be grateful," I am not talking about feeling blessed by your house or your car. Those are nice things and we should be proud to own them, but we should be grateful for more than our possessions. Let's be grateful for our marriages. Let's be grateful for our families. Maybe...

I haven't read a single news report about the Cincinnati Zoo gorilla incident, in which a four-year-old boy climbed a barricade and fell into the zoo's gorilla enclosure over Memorial Day weekend. I also haven't watched the video of the event, and I refuse to (just the thought of it is enough to give me nightmares). So I don't know who's right or who's wrong, if the mother really is to blame, or if this was a freak accident that could have happened to anyone of us. But I've read plenty of opinions about this event on Facebook, and I've got one thing to say about it: enough with the mom shaming, already! In some ways, I get it. An innocent animal...

Before I was a mother, I envisioned my family's meal times, especially dinner, as nothing short of perfection. I'd serve up deliciously prepared meals a' la June Cleaver, and my family would eagerly gobble them up while praising my culinary efforts. Boy was I WRONG!!! Despite the fact that both of my children eat a pretty wide variety of foods, my 4-year-old daughter enjoys dragging meals out for what sometimes feels like an eternity. Her reason behind the desire to make dinner time about as long as a professional sporting event remains a mystery. The agony of getting her to eat a decent amount of food within a reasonable amount of time has become one of the most dreaded...

It goes without saying that if you are raising two or more daughters (and let's face it, sons) in the South, they will match occasionally. And by "occasionally" I mean all the time. Special occasions call for carefully thought out coordinating outfits from the top of their bow heads to the bottom of their tiny sandaled feet. Sometimes a monogram is added for good measure. You know, so you can tell which kid is which. Color coordinating can serve the same purpose as the monogram while allowing the children to show a bit of their individual personality. Matching clothing on children is not just for special occasions. Nope. My children can be caught twinning when out for a fun-filled day on the...

Fearless parenting. I know it isn't really a thing. When I'm panicking on the inside every time my daughter climbs on the back of the couch that sits on very hard concrete floors, I'm anything but fearless. Fearing for the health and welfare of our children is just biology. But at some point, that fear is no longer productive. We are forced to decide, consciously or otherwise, exactly where that point is. We are constantly bombarded by reasons to be afraid. From the news, from social media, from politicians. Some days, when we hear about another tragedy or a freak accident, it takes all we have to keep from holding our babies tightly and never letting go. I've spent too...