Growing Up

It happened after school, she hopped in the car and started talking as she buckled into her car seat ... This is our after school ritual: she talks, I listen, she talks. She talks about how much she loves her teacher, she talks about her A++ in math, she talks about how she was at the top of the behavior chart. But today she added, “Kody-with-a-K is so bad, Mom! He’s ALWAYS at the the bottom of the iceberg.” I took a deep breath, because a huge mantra in our house is “Be kind & show grace.” But was she showing Kody-with-a-K grace in this moment? Did she know anything about him other than his behaviors in class? I’ll answer for...

Middle school can be such an awkward time for a child. It’s the years that their bodies start changing, acne starts growing, and their hormones are out of control! This is also the time when they typically seek interest in children of the opposite sex. As school dances are quickly approaching (if they haven't already), parents may want to take a minute to give some "cool" advice on how to be the rock star kid at the middle school dance. Know all the cool dance moves. Knowing the coolest dance moves (<-- must click the link) is crucial to thriving at the dance. When there is a dance-off OR when no one is dancing at all, your child needs to be prepared...

It's a new school year, and I feel like I'm on the edge of new territory. We have a 6 year old and a 6th grader, and I can't even wrap my mind around it. Our 6th grader is taller than me, right on the verge of becoming a teenager.  Recently I saw a wall of brochures advertising different types of groups to join, and one of the groups was a "Middle School Moms Support Group." Although I laughed when I saw it, now I wonder if there is one in our area. This isn't about my son; he is truly wonderful. It's just that the middle school years are full of so many incredible changes. I want him to remember...

Love is an emotion that is one of the hardest to define. Is it a feeling? Is it a decision? Is it blind? Is it madness? Are there different types of love? Loving someone is never logical. We always try to make sense of what it means to love and be loved, but everyone seems to have a different opinion of what true love is. This morning, my daughter and I exchanged a series of “I love yous” and “I love you mores,” and I couldn’t help but forget about any problem I’ve been facing in my life. As we stared at each other and expressed our deep seeded love for one another, nothing else mattered. I wanted to...

I have two boys, my oldest is three and my youngest is one and a half. It seems the older they are, the more “limited” I feel. When I first began this post, I tried thinking of all the things I gave up when I became a mom, like sleep, relaxing dinners, or uninterrupted bathroom breaks. However, the more I thought about this, the more I longed for the "easier" newborn days (as if that exists!) when I could still window shop, take road trips, or talk on the phone. Aside from naps and an early bedtime, I didn't feel limited in early motherhood. I could tailor each day to the schedule I liked best.   Until my youngest turned one, I was...