Mom's Timeout

Babies are interesting creatures, aren’t they? I remember when my son was born. He was so perfect and, of course, sweet and innocent. Yea, for the first few days. And then? And then you get the privilege of experiencing all the ironies that come with parenting… You want to eat? Tough! Shower? Not happening! You can pretty much […]

Do you remember the nine months you carried your child in utero? What about the year or so you carried your baby who couldn’t quite walk yet? And what about all the time you carried your young child because that’s just what moms do. It’s amazing to think about, isn’t it? There’s is absolutely no […]

How many times did someone tell you what you should or shouldn’t be doing as a new mom? Apparently, it’s pretty typical to start receiving loads of unsolicited advice as soon as you find out you’re expecting. I hit my threshold for it long before I even gave birth and it certainly didn’t stop there. After […]

I was talking to someone one day who is a stay-at-home mom. And, of course, the inevitable comment just had to be made… “How do you do it? I could never leave my kids.” Fantastic. Generally speaking, I mind my own business and do my best not to engage. For some reason, that day, I wanted […]

Have you ever wondered what you would tell yourself if you could go back in time – you know, before you were the mama of a toddler? What would you have wanted to know way back then? I wish I would’ve realized just how much more toddlers can get into when they learn to walk. […]

Have you ever watched a professional clean. They definitely have a system and there’s obviously structure to the way they clean. I’ve occasionally crossed paths with the women who clean our offices at work and I assure you they’re efficient. 2 hours – in and out. It’s nothing short of amazing to me. Ironically, the way […]

Potty Training is hard. I think it’s one of the hardest things I’ve done as a parent. Potty training requires perseverance and, to a certain extent, it’s beyond your control. It’s messy, it’s time consuming, it’s scary for you and your kid…. There are tons of reasons why potty training is just the worst. That […]

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to parent a child on the Autism spectrum? I work with kids on the spectrum every day and I have tons of respect and admiration for their parents. There are lots of “normal” parenting things that have to be adjusted or just trashed when you have a child […]

Cleaning the house is definitely not one of my favorite things to do. My husband and I do most of our weekly cleaning on the weekends. We avoid doing more than absolutely necessary on the week nights. Who wants to waste those few precious hours of down time cleaning toilets and washing windows? No, thanks. […]

I have been a mother for almost 18 years (next Monday, it’ll be official).  Crap.  When they say “time flies”, they’re not kidding.  It seriously seems like just yesterday I had my small bundle of joy. With the majority of my friends being younger than me, they are now experiencing what I went through a […]

Do you have a tendency to over-think things? Are you a bit overzealous with the decision-making process? Has it ever occurred to you that you might be overdoing it just a bit? There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that I’m an over-thinker. Heck, sometimes I eat the same thing over and over again just […]

I never quite understood my mom. Back then, the rules seemed unfair at best and I couldn’t quite understand why we did the things we did. I didn’t get why it was such a big deal that I came home from school and immediately did my homework. There were so many things that made absolutely […]

Have you ever had a horrible mom day – the kind of day where you seriously want to curl up in a ball and you’re not sure that you’ll ever forgive yourself. Have you ever been so rushed that you overlooked something important your kids were trying to do for you and then felt guilty […]

Communicating with toddlers is hard work. Their verbal skills, while cute, aren’t the best. If your toddler is upset about anything, tired, or hungry… verbal communication pretty much goes out the window. As moms, we quickly learn not to expect a lot of explanation from our toddlers. I’ve quickly become used to troubleshooting my toddler’s issues […]

How did you end up at the point where you’re at now? Was it the plan all along to stay at home or to go back to work? Did you take a look at your finances? Did you read everything that you could possibly get your hands on? I know, at least around here, it […]

When we were growing up, my mom had a sign in the kitchen that said “menu: take it or leave it.” That was her philosophy. We could either eat what she had made for dinner or we could wait until the next meal. Now that I’m a mom attempting to feed a toddler healthy meals […]

Yesterday, I went over the itinerary for our upcoming family vacation with my husband. He groaned as soon as I said the word itinerary. I have to admit, vacations really aren’t the same now that we have kids. I totally understand his exasperation. Before we had kids, my husband and I would take a weekend […]

I love the idea of taking my son out on dates. Fore one thing, it’s a great opportunity to squeeze in some time for just the two of us before the baby comes. Also, it gives me the chance to teach him about manners, being a gentleman, and treat him at the same time. Although […]

Alright, I admit it. Pinterest is my weakness. I’m head over heels in love with the whole concept of it! As if I don’t have hundreds of other things to do, I make a point of visiting and pinning on a daily basis. For that matter, I make stuff. More often than not, I’m knee-deep […]

Isn’t it crazy to think that, even when you have another little human being with you, you can still be lonely? It’s definitely crossed my mind a time or two. This life is both awesome and amazing, but doesn’t it sometimes feel as if you’re all by yourself? One mom wrote a beautiful essay asking the question […]