Real Talk

Two kids ago, I was faced with quite a conundrum. My husband had confessed to me his lifelong dream of joining the Navy, and after months of discussions and planning, he left for boot camp. Including school in California, he was gone for about six months when our boys were 3 and 2 years old. During that time, I dealt with the most trying situations our family had faced until that point without his assistance: my first trip to the emergency room as a mom, our house getting hit by lightning, and setting up a pack-and-play.  That last one almost broke me.  My mom was babysitting so I could go to my high school reunion. Before I left, she asked me...

As children in school, we were taught to stand up for people who are bullied. If we see someone being mistreated, speak up, tell a teacher and DO SOMETHING. Why as adults, do we think it is ok to just sit in the corner and keep quiet? Is it fear? Fear of being seen as one of “those people” who care too much or are always talking? I completely understand that. We want to blend in especially if we are naturally introverts, there is no reason to show attention to ourselves if we don’t have to. Let’s imagine something, what if that was your kid being picked on at school? And when you talked to the teacher, they responded with...

The day we shut down Chick-fil-A. It’s a day that is permanently singed into my brain. Okay, it was only the play place, but that might as well be all of Chick-fil-A, amiright? The Fateful Day So this fateful day we had traveled to Mom Mecca and I even scored the rare front row seats! (For you newbs, that’s a booth right next to the glass, so those eagle eyes of mine can remind my child that I’m *always watching*!) I’m not a big fan of sending my kids into a play place unattended (personal choice, stand down all you keyboard vigilantes). However, today we were waiting for Dad, Nan, & Pops for a special dinner, and kid 1 & kid...

Every woman owns the perfect little black dress. You know, the one you slip on when you go out on a hot date? The one that makes you feel sexy and alluring. So much so that you can walk in a room and everyone stops and stares as you walk across with an aura of unstoppable pursuit. The little black dress is a symbol for so many things. It’s a symbol for boldness, attraction, and above all, confidence. Every woman knows that if she cannot find anything to wear, there is ALWAYS the option of the little black dress. As a single mother of a beautiful 8-year-old girl, I often think about the kind of woman she will grow...

Because of how our district is arranged, my three school-aged children attend three different schools. They each come home with folders packed with reminders. I call them "micro-aggressions." Each one represents some upcoming significant date, whether a field trip, free dress day, or even just a heads-up to expect a progress report soon. Honestly, I'm doing my best simply to match the correct slip of paper to the correct kid (help me out here, admin, and put the school names on the top of each paper, will ya?!) My husband and I carve out time every afternoon to do the homework routine. While the kids plug away at their assignments, we are busy checking the folders, signing the daily reports,...