I am a firm believer that every parent needs a weekend away a year. I know that sounds terrible - like I'm trying to escape my family, but I swear to you it's true what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder. And the mind grow clearer: the bottled emotions to unjumble, thin... Continue Reading →
a mom’s "I feel lucky"
Today I took the kids for a drive to get Holden to sleep. He has always been good about falling asleep on his own, until recently. Recently he began crying and screaming once I leave the room, so I trick him into sleeping sometimes by driving him around.I was only three miles from home when... Continue Reading →
when the kids are asleep
Many people suggested ways I could carve out more time for my writing, but none of their suggestions involved the care and consideration of the small children who live in my house. I find lots of discussion online about "waiting for the muse" but not enough about having to write in between T-ball games. I... Continue Reading →
Bye bye, ba-ba
Yes, my son was a three-year-old with a pacifier addiction. So what? There are worse things, right? But it was embarrassing. Steve and I found ourselves apologizing for it to complete strangers who would ask if B & H were twins. "No, this one is three, but you wouldn't know it since he still uses... Continue Reading →
the impossibility of safety
My boys are what you would expect from boys: rowdy and rough. And I love that they like to wrestle each other, to play ball, to climb into their fort. They are quintessential little men in that way. But unfortunately, this lifestyle of theirs leads to bumps and bruises and scrapes. And with each bump... Continue Reading →
bathtime
Yesterday, I gave the boys a bath, and it was a disaster. I dread bath time all the time, actually. Holden is that age where he tries to do everything big boys do, but without any of the coordination. So he loves splashing around in the bathtub, standing up, sitting down, dunking a ball in... Continue Reading →
mom stress
It's easy to forget how much our kids can understand. They may be small, but they certainly aren't dumb. I say things mostly to myself, to verbalize it and vent, and Brandon hears me and knows what I'm saying. I remembered this the other day when he said, "I'm so stressed out." That is one... Continue Reading →
begins with a single step
When Brandon was smaller, I used to wonder how parents ever stopped marveling at each new thing they learn. Every milestone of his I wanted to write down, so I could remember it when he was older and I was more weathered, less amused. I praise him for the most mundane things, because it is... Continue Reading →
hardest job ever
It's been a year of being a stay-at-home mom and here's what I've learned: that this is the hardest job I've had. When I used to review resumes, I would laugh at people who would list their stay-at-home mom job as "CEO of family" or "Domestic Engineer" to try to spruce up the title. And... Continue Reading →
not some lark
We have entered the stage of parenting where things aren't so easy anymore. I mean, no part of parenting is easy, I'm sure, but when they are babies you keep them alive, but once they get older, you think about actions, consequences, and how it all shapes their character. My older brother remembers my dad... Continue Reading →
holly pelesky 