Mom's Timeout

In my marriage, we don’t say “thank you” enough.  We expect things from one another that we would never ask of another person.  Our expectations are always met. Though I’m incredibly grateful to my husband, I don’t say it very often.  Sure, I write it in cards on Valentine’s Day and our anniversary. I might […]

Kids definitely lack empathy. There are just too many things we think are important that they could care less about. Or maybe it’s not a matter of empathy so much as priorities. Eh, sleep is definitely not negotiable. I guess when it really comes down to it, though… Well, that’s my opinion. Apparently, my toddler […]

Every now and again, I manage to sneak up on the little guy before he realizes that I’m close by. And every time, I see him being 100% perfectly well-behaved. ‘Scuse me? I’m definitely starting to notice a trend here. It’s as if the heavens parted and if you’re anyone but me, my son’s a […]

Have you ever heard the expression “You can’t reason with unreasonable?” Yep, that about sums it up. Babies are awesome. They’re definitely amazing, but reasonable? Not so much. It takes quite a bit of time before babies are able to put someone else’s needs above their own. Let’s face it. Most of us already know […]

For more years than I can count, I kept a journal. I wrote about everything. Literally. These days, it definitely makes for some interesting reading. Throughout the pages of journal after journal, you’ll find stories of love and life and a look at how a teenager sees the world. Note: Definitely nowhere near the same […]

I got the best photos today! It’s a series of three photos of my kids playing together. These precious photos tell a cute story of my son “reading” to his baby sister and showing her how to play with new toys.  The love in their eyes as they stare at each other is priceless! It’s […]

My grandmother was the best cook! She had thousands of recipes written on scraps of paper all over her kitchen.  My favorite recipe of hers was a small scrap taped in the cabinet by the sink. It was the recipe for a happy marriage. No, it wasn’t something you could cook in the oven… but […]

Toddlers are always doing unexpected things.  Just when you thought you had this parenting thing figured out, the toddler years show up to keep you humble. However, amid all the surprises, there are some things you can count on. For instance, meltdowns and potty training “accidents” always occur in the least convenient places and times…. […]

I’m definitely an advocate of “learning by playing” and I strongly believe the best thing we can do for our kids is to create a lifelong love of learning. I see no need to subject extremely young kids to formal education. After all, we have our entire lives to learn anything and everything we want to. […]

Isn’t it crazy to think about how our toddlers might view the world around them? I will say one thing. I can assure you mine think it revolves around him. No worries, though. That’s part of growing up. At one time or another, we all thought the same. I just find some of the things […]

I’m a food allergy mom. That means I have to be extra vigilant at family gatherings, especially ones focused around food like Thanksgiving. There are foods lurking everywhere that could make my child sick.  So what’s a mom like me to do about the well-meaning relatives who don’t understand my son’s food boundaries? Get some […]

Last night I put my son to bed. I sat on the bed next to him as he fell asleep and stroked his little red curls.  I watched with a knowing smile as he slowly transitioned from talking a mile a minute to the calm breathing of a deep sleep. More than once I thought […]

Why don’t kids sleep? Well, maybe your kids do. If so, I’m super jealous. My kids can somehow survive three days on a combined total of 9 hours sleep. I’m starting to think they have insomnia, in fact, I’m actually quite certain. We’ve tried everything to get them to sleep. Frankly, I’m sick of all […]

As parents, we get lots of unsolicited advice. Everybody has an idea about how we should be raising our children. Most of the time we just ignore it. Family gatherings have a tendency to be stressful as it is, throw in a dash of unsolicited parenting advice from Great Aunt Helen and you’ve got a recipe […]

Being a mom is stressful at times. There are some days when I’m more stressed at home with my young children than I ever was in my career. Other moms suggest a glass of wine, hiding in the bathroom (because the door locks), or a quick chat with a girlfriend to deal with the stress […]

By now, we’re all aware of the Syrian refugee crisis. It’s all over the news and our social media feeds. There’s a lot being said about who the refugees are, where they come from, whether or not they can be trusted, and what we should “do.” Instead of just talking, one mom is actually doing […]

I love my husband, but sometimes I get jealous. Usually it takes the form of something my husband likes to call “sleep jealousy.” Why does it feel like he gets so much more sleep than I do? Whatever form it takes, husband envy is a real thing. Guys, you want to know what we’re talking […]

There’s a lot of talk about kids today being entitled. In an effort to combat this issue, many moms are finding creative ways to help their children show gratitude and give to others. I periodically have my son help me with projects for grandparents to show his gratitude for all the things they do for […]

We have decided to home school, so I won’t be writing a letter to the teacher…. because how silly would it be to write a letter to myself? But if we weren’t home schooling, I’d definitely write a letter to the teacher that sounds a lot like the one on the next page.  I have […]

Toddlers and meltdowns go together like macaroni and cheese.  Unfortunately, they really can’t help it and … sometimes we can’t help but laugh! For instance, my son’s epic 20 minute meltdown last week because I was unable to take the laundry soap back out of the washing machine after pouring it in.  That was a […]