Real Talk

When is the last time that you spent uninterrupted, quality time with your kiddo? Let me clarify before you answer. Not you doing something and your kiddo is there with you, not both of you on screens but in the same proximity, not riding in the car listening to music or the radio… I mean quality time. Time where you bond on a deeper level, where distractions are not allowed, conversation is purposeful, and your kiddo is your number one focus. Why is this so important? Isn’t observing your child’s behavior, spending time together (even though you’re multitasking in that time), and reassuring your kids that you will always be there for them when they need, good enough? After all, our...

Dear Teen Mom, I See You I’ll never forget seeing those two pink lines. I was 16. I’d had a few different boyfriends since I turned 14, but this was my first serious relationship. He was thrilled. I was, understandably, terrified. After a very difficult pregnancy, we welcomed our first son two weeks before my 17th birthday. Of course, it was love at first sight. We had an awesome support system, and I know for a fact the days would have been a lot harder without the help and love we received from grandparents. I don’t take that for granted one bit; they were a saving grace on many nights when I wanted to give up from lack of sleep. In...

Wobbling Toward Grace, Part 2 :: The Days of Beautiful Chaos *This is a Part 2 of a series. Read Part 1 here. I was old when I became a new mom, and maybe that was what isolated me from the colleagues I had called friends. Also what made me overly protective and what motivated me to take 58,000 photos of my baby every week. I am also an introvert who found myself pregnant at 43, filled with a delight I had never expected I would, or could, experience, and which I had talked myself out of believing would ever be part of my life, talked myself into believing I, for some reason, didn't deserve. And, like many new moms, I kept...

In Defense Of Public Schools Public or private? This seems to be a very hot topic nowadays. It’s easy to see why. We want our kids to have the best of the best, don’t we? We want them afforded every opportunity available to them so they grow into mature, responsible, HAPPY adults, right? That’s the goal! My family and I are very fortunate to live in a great public school district where we know they’ll thrive, but the question of public or private honestly never came up in discussions about education when our kids were babies. After all, my husband and I both went through the public school system and had no solid complaints. So here’s some reasons we LOVE our public...

You Snooze, You Win! :: Life Hacks For The Time-Management-Challenged I was once given an art assignment that consisted of a blank sheet of paper with the word “TIME” at the top in bold letters. Our only instruction was to draw in the space below based on the word prompt. I stared at the paper and felt a flood of mixed emotions - both positive and negative. When it comes to four-letter words, this one might be the most sensational. I have many positive memories regarding the word time; the way my Cajun Granny would always say, “Well, y’all got time ...” when we’d announce we were about to head home after Sunday lunch. She’d start a pot of coffee or get...