Real Talk

Ok, I lied. She isn't five. She's four and three quarters. But, she isn't sleep trained. In fact, she's never been one who understood the glorious allure of shut eye. Most days, I'd rather eat one of those world record hot peppers than deal with bedtime. And naps? Ha, not in this lifetime. This kid just plain hates sleep. I know I'm not alone. I've watched Super Nanny. I also know that I still have it pretty darn good in other departments, so I can't complain too much. But I'm still praying that any potential future child of mine will love bedtime. It all starts during the bedtime routine. Putting on jammies and brushing teeth is a threat-filled marathon with...

My parents are the hardest-working people I know. My mother has put in 39 years with the same company, and my father has dedicated his life to working tirelessly at work and at home to ensure we could make ends meet. The two of them scraped and scrounged enough to send all four of their kids to private schools, all while managing to go on vacations, send us to summer camp, and pay for whatever sports and extracurricular activities that interested us kids. They have more than earned this awesome season of their lives. But I gotta admit, I'm a little uncomfortable. Raising parents these days is more difficult than it used to be. Once upon a time, parents would...

You never imagine it won’t go exactly how you plan -- no matter how many times people tell you or how many books try to inform you that all pregnancies and deliveries are different. You never really believe that yours won’t be the way you see it in your dreams. I mean really, if you think about it you spend 9 (really 10) months planning and imagining all the possibilities of how it will be when you birth this new bundle of joy into the world.  For me, my last pregnancy and delivery was everything I never thought possible. I had heard of postpartum depression, but had never had any personal experience with it. I was too strong, too busy,...

After two years in my position at work I received a promotion at the end of last year. I was excited for the new responsibility and to be taking my career in a new direction. And, the pay increase was a welcomed benefit. I knew the new job would require training, the learning of much business history and methods, and a general inundation of information. I was ready for the challenge. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy my previous position. In fact, I actually loved it, but after two years I had mastered much of it. Many of the daily tasks could be done without too much thought - I knew what I was doing and I could do it...

We have two little boys who are 19 months apart. We're asked constantly if they're twins, and to be fair, they do look very similar with their blond hair and blue eyes. But that's about where their similarities end. In fact, my husband and I are trying with difficulty to navigate the differences between the two while remaining fair to both.  I've never kept a baby book (mainly because I don't have the energy for them), and I'm grateful that I never started one. I'm afraid that I would become the type of mom who would compare her kids and fanatically check the records of when the first was potty-trained and compare it against the second. Actually, potty-training is a perfect...