Mom's Timeout

Thankfully, I don’t have any personal experience moving with toddlers. It doesn’t sound fun at all. We bought our house a few months before my son’s first birthday and moving with a baby was hard enough. There were tons of offers to help, but no one wanted to help my husband move furniture while I […]

Ever get irritated with those moms who are so freaking picky about what their kids eat? You know the ones, the ones who won’t let you bring your own snacks to the park because they’re so scared their kid might get a cracker from your daughter’s snack bag. They’re crazy right? Lots of kids have […]

I’ve been following this case for several months. Heather Hironimus was forced to “consent” to having her 4 year old circumcised against her wishes and those of her son. I can’t imagine her heartache. Circumcision continues to be a battleground for Mommy Wars and American medical organizations. Most parents feel very strongly one way or […]

Go Ahead and confess – are you a lazy mom? Do you take a few shortcuts here and there? Have you done some things that you’re less than proud of to save time? I’m willing to bet there’s not a mom among us who hasn’t. I stripped my son one day and tossed his clothes […]

I am not a fan of the bumper sticker, car decal, whatever title you want to give it.  I don’t want to know that your kid is an honor student, I don’t care that you have 3.5 kids and a dog.  I could go all day without finding out that you ran a full marathon; […]

Have you ever sat down and thought about what makes you a mom? I mean, really thought about it – long and hard. Are there some key differences between you and your childless friends? It wasn’t all that long ago that I was one of those childless friends. Let me tell you something, I had […]

I’ll say one thing – pregnancy was nowhere near what I expected – not necessarily in a bad way. It was just a lot different than what I was constantly seeing and hearing everywhere. For whatever reason, it seemed easier than what everyone made it out to be. What things were a surprise to you […]

You open your mouth and you’re pretty sure that words came out.  In fact, you can hear yourself. They ignore you.  Then you hear yourself repeating what you just said, again, but louder this time. And repeating again, raising the decibel level even more.  Finally, you are yelling and you start to feel like a […]

Ah, summer.  The time of cook-outs, days filled with sunshine and don’t forget, annual state fair season.  It’s not difficult to find a fair that caters to you and your particular taste buds, because, let’s face it, cities and counties find any excuse to celebrate. Strawberry Festivals, Bratwurst Festivals, Sauerkraut Festivals. Those last two need […]

It’s a full-full-time job with no days off.  You get no sick leave and no vacation days. You will have to care for tiny, monstrous dictators whose demands are ridiculous and repetitive.  They will yell, scream, cry and generally disturb your peace of mind. Sound good?  Oh, did I mention that it is a volunteer […]

Have you ever had one of those days? You know, the days when you feel like you’re barely hanging on and you feel like everything is beyond your control. You tread ever-so-carefully, always afraid that something else is going to go wrong. We all have them. We’ve all been there and done that. Sometimes, we […]

Do you remember the days before you had kids – you would be sitting in a restaurant having a peaceful dinner and all of sudden someone’s toddler would throw their body on the floor and start flailing their arms and legs and screaming at the top of their lungs? The parents would try to calm […]

Once or twice already, I’ve haphazardly mentioned to my husband that I’m looking forward to my little guy’s teen years. It was meant sarcastically, no doubt. I’m figuring with as strong-willed and independent as he is already, I’ll be in for quite the treat. Sure, there are things to look forward to at every age. […]

I remember having a conversation with a few friends one day – all of whom have little boys. We were talking about whether or not it was socially acceptable for boys to play with dolls. Obviously, I use the term “socially acceptable” loosely because gender equality and double standards go hand in hand. Why is […]

Do you have mom friends? Is there a group of women who mean the world to you? One thing I’ve realized since having my son is that I have a very small, but close group of friends. Sometimes, it’s easier that way. The more intimate, the better. Honestly, there really isn’t such a thing as acquaintances in […]

Organizing. You either love it or you hate it. I’m willing to bet that the majority of moms can think of at least a dozen or so other things that they’d rather be doing. I know, I can. Organizing is, at it’s core, just a lot of standards and systems – do this, put that […]

Sometimes finding reliable childcare is very difficult. I’ve often been told that if only I didn’t make so many “rules” or leave so many instructions… But what about the demands that babysitters make? Have you ever had a sitter request something crazy? The strange demands range from requesting specific snacks to demanding payments for jobs […]

With my second child on the way, I’m thinking a lot about that first year. There’s so much I miss about it. I can’t wait to hold my sweet little infant! I miss the days when my firstborn wanted to snuggle and nurse all day. These days I’m lucky if I get a hug on […]

Why is it that people are always giving new moms advice, but never answering the questions that we really want to ask? I remember what it was like and I’m thankful I had some good friends I could ask the really crazy stuff to. For instance, when will this baby brain go away? Will my […]

Mornings are crazy. If you’re one of the many who needs several cups of coffee to get going, it’s even worse. Then throw kids in the mix and all bets are off! Week day mornings can be really crazy. My brain is on overload with all the things I need to get done and the […]