I have a distinct memory of sitting in the backyard of the house I grew up in, asking my mom to play Barbie Dolls with me. “Sweetie,” she said, “Mommy will dress the Barbies and brush their hair, how about you make them talk?” I remember thinking, as a five-year-old, that this was so odd. How could my mom not want to engage 24/7 in the imaginative play that my sister, my friends, and I delighted in and couldn’t get enough of? But now? I get it.
I absolutely adore overhearing my five, seven, and even two-year old use their imaginations for pretend play. My five-year-old has especially dramatic voices she uses for her dolls and my seven-year-old can set...
7:42 a.m.
Day 1 of summer break.
My youngest, 11, comes up to me and lays in my lap as I am working. I already know what she is about to say because we have been here so many times before.
"I'm boooooored," she moans.
"I can't help you. You have plenty to do."
She marches off, mad and mumbling to herself.
I remember being that age and home during summer break. I spent my afternoons playing outside or with friends. I never told my mom that I was bored because she would just give me chores to do. I learned that lesson pretty quickly.
My kids have also learned the same lesson.
When my children were younger, I would plan out their summers. Bucket lists of...
Several years ago, when my oldest daughter was nine years old, I read an article comparing age nine to half time of a football game. Age nine and half time both being fun parts sandwiched in between two very important halves. At the time, I remember relating to the feelings described in the article; however, I also remember thinking age eighteen was incredibly far off and not on my parenting radar.
Half Time is Over
Fast forward to today and here I am sitting in the last quarter of the game. You see my sweet little nine-year-old daughter is now only weeks away from her fifteenth birthday. If age nine was halftime, I would say age fifteen is several minutes into...
Being a mom of four, every time one of my babies started to grow up, I’d just have another one. Well, now “baby” four is growing up and there isn’t another baby coming in her spot. It’s a hard pill to swallow. Don’t get me wrong, our family is completed and I don’t long for another baby but I do long for this period to stay a little longer, but nonetheless, it’s fleeting. As Kenny Chesney says “don’t blink!” There are things you never think will make you emotional until it’s time to move on.
Cleaning out the bottle cabinet. My youngest hasn’t had a bottle in over a year and every time I open the cabinet to clean, I....
Witching hour(s) should start with a B, I mean really, can I get an AMEN?!? At what age will there not be a witching hour(s)? When the clock strikes 5:00pm, our whole house vibe changes. It’s like the earth tilts off its axis. There is yelling, hair pulling, and crying and the kids are even worse! There is more energy in our house than a damn Red Bull! It is all I can do to get everyone fed, bathed and put to bed every night. So here’s what our house looks like…
We do homework as soon as everyone gets in from the bus, with three school age kids, we have no choice. They have a snack while we tackle...
Around Baton Rouge
Mardi Gras From the Perspective of a Krewe Dancer
Mardi Gras From the Perspective of a Krewe Dancer
It's that time of year we have been working towards all year long. Preparing three to...
