A wise, wise, woman named Kelly Ripa once said, “It is not a vacation if you go with children. It is a trip.” I keep that in my head when the flight it going up and I have high hopes of all the fun I’m about to have, and not have. My kids are 11, 9, and 7. They are at good ages to travel. They don’t cry. They can sit still. Electronic devices can be their best friends if needed. So airplanes, trains and cars are all fine. My worry used to be those modes of transportation. They are no longer the worry. At least I have that going for me. My middle child is exactly like ever kid you’ve ever seen ..read more

I used to worry about which friend of mine is mad at me. Which extended family member has it out for me lately? Which mom friend doesn’t like me or likes me too much? Then one day I opened the refrigerator and saw several balloon animals and it all made sense. My kids are a circus show and who has time to care about anything else ? Here are the latest things I have stumbled across while I’m minding my own business in my own home. 1- Balloon animals shaped as dogs in my refrigerator. 2-Flower seeds that are planted with dirt in a medicine measuring cap on my windowsill. 3- The backyard zip line ..read more

For some reason celebrity parents are often asked, “Do you have advice for us normal parents??”. They sure love to answer this question. I’ve searched the internet for their advice. Then I decided to take it. Kourtney Kardashian shared that using a microwave is harmful, and she refuses to do it in her home. I didn’t know how else to cook a hot dog. I suppose this is like a fun little test to see if I’d make it in the 1800s. I boiled water on a stove. Then you throw some wieners in, and wait, I guess? I didn’t know how long to wait, so I waited long. The hot dog cooking takes about 30 minutes ..read more

For some reason celebrity parents are often asked, “Do you have advice for us normal parents??”. They sure love to answer this question. I’ve searched the internet for their advice. Then I decided to take it. Kourtney Kardashian shared that using a microwave is harmful, and she refuses to do it in her home. I didn’t know how else to cook a hot dog. I suppose this is like a fun little test to see if I’d make it in the 1800s. I boiled water on a stove. Then you throw some wieners in, and wait, I guess? I didn’t know how long to wait, so I waited long. The hot dog cooking takes about 30 minutes ..read more

When I had my first child, I was 27 years old. I had been around kids a lot. I taught preschool. I was a nanny. I had nephews and a niece. None of this counted for anything when you have your own kid. Anything I thought I knew, I didn’t know. As a entered my home as a first time mom, I was nervous. My husband had a week off of work. I was lucky enough to be able to stay home indefinitely. Unlike the Kardashians, I didn’t have a night nurse, or nanny. My husband took his week to build a fence. We had a couple dogs, and he was taking the pressure off me to walk them, so I appreciated this. Howev ..read more

I really like taking drives in my car. Since my children were infants, this activity got me motivated. As a stay-at-home mom, I love being home, but I also love NOT being home. My car is an extension of my house for sure. Once at my parent’s house I was frustrated that my kids didn’t sit down nicely to eat at the table. My dad, who liked to give it to you straight said, “Well they’re used to their mobile restaurant.” He meant my car, where they ate at least one meal a day in. I’m not a clean freak. If I hand these kids a happy meal box, I don’t look back. I drink my cup of coffee, and have a n ..read more

When I was little, if you wanted to have a hobby outside of school you had limited options. As a five-year-old I did the expected activity of dance class. I tapped. I remember a recital where we danced to “Jail House Rock”, by Elvis. I was the only one-off beat. I clapped when you were supposed to pretend to strum your imaginary guitar. To say I was no Britney Spears is an understatement. As I got older, I tried basketball. In the fifth grade I had eyeglasses, so they put an apparatus on my face to secure the glasses to my head. Super attractive. Not only did I look like a non-player, but I al ..read more

Chatting With Your Kids When I had my third child, I noticed the older two needed more attention. Ever since they were babies we read three books at their bedtime. They then went to sleep with a little light up hippo from VTECH that told them stories and lit up the room. This routine worked well. You can really count on a light up hippo to provide comfort. Well after the book reading ended, I told my oldest son James that we can sit and “chat” for a minute. We sat down and asked him about his day. He was almost four years old so this wasn’t what I’d call riveting material, but he loved it ..read more

I have been married for twelve years. Twelve years ago, my husband and I weren’t exactly swimming in the money. I was 25, he was 26. We were living in my parent’s basement. It wasn’t a van down by the river, but it WAS an unfinished basement. My husband was waiting to hear back from a job he applied for. I was a preschool teacher. Our wedding was starting to look like a backyard barbecue with Steve Martin in an apron. Well, my husband eventually heard back from his interview and got the job. We were thrilled. Chris (my husband) started his job in April and we were married by August. We decided ..read more

I had a son. I had another son. Then I had a daughter. I needed stuff. I needed stuff and quick. I discovered this little store called Target. I suppose it isn’t little but it felt like a hop, skip and jump to the things I needed. It was a savior. This was before the drive up option even came to town. Let me tell you something. My kids are 11, 9, and 7 and I run that place like it’s the hottest club to hit the scene. We always need milk. My children must bathe in it when I’m not looking. So I gather up all the kids and head to Target. My children are always with me. My husband works a lot and ..read more