It never fails: During the week I will go pick up lunch somewhere or get on social media and see moms with their kids, enjoying summer. I start feeling down on myself because my kids are at camp and I am stuck behind a desk. Are those kids having a better summer than mine?
I work 40-50 hrs a week. Throw in gymnastics practice and renovating a house and I am one tired mama. My husband works, as well, so not much changes between winter and summer around our place. Not much in terms of lazy summer can be found in our house.
Growing up my mom stayed home and our summers were spent reading, playing outside, riding bikes with neighbors...
"My children don't notice color."
This sentiment is repeated time and again, boldly and proudly. It's touted as a great parenting goal, especially when racial tensions heat up. We don't want our children to see the color of another person's skin. We want them to see everyone as the same.
It's a good goal. Admirable. It comes from a place of wanting our children to be inclusive and friendly to all people. And we certainly all want our children to treat others with respect and kindness.
But this particular sentiment is counter-intuitive. Seeing everyone as the same is different than seeing everyone as equal. Everyone is not the same. And what a boring world it would be if everyone were the same....
To the children that lost their daddy last night. This is for you.
As I read the report and see the photos of your daddy from last nights' event, my heart crumbles for you. It crumbles into a sad dark place that you, your siblings and your friends ... all of our children are being raised in.
This morning, I watched as you cried at that press conference while your mamma spoke and it made me want nothing more than to scoop you up, hug you tight and cry with you. I wanted so badly to squeeze you, let you cry in my arms ... so badly I wanted to tell you everything was going to be ok. But it's not.
I...
I like to lovingly think of myself as a hot mess mom. I roll out of bed every morning way later than I want to admit. My hair is always a mess. I rarely wear makeup. I don't know how to cook. When I remember to put socks on my kids, they often don't match. And today, my 2-year-old's outfit consists of PJs and mismatched shoes. My point is, every day is a struggle and I'm barely surviving this whole "Mom" thing.
Yet every evening, at around 6:30pm, sanity arrives at my house. Daddy comes home from work. My boys are better behaved. My husband cooks dinner. We have family time. And that overwhelming feeling that I live with every second of every...
Ralph Waldo Emerson once advised to never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.
My husband recently took a beautiful picture of our daughter playing out in the backyard. She was kneeling down in some taller than usual (needing to be cut) weeds, and the photo focused only on the blades in between her fingers. She paid no attention to the camera. Over the past few months she has grown increasingly curious about the outdoors, touching every leaf and flower within her reach and starting a rock collection from the front garden. I loved that her curiosity came across in this photo. That's how I saw it.
Another person's view, well-meaning I'm sure, pointed out the potential for snakes in...
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...
