A Mom's Life

It was a hot sunny day last Friday, and on my way home from work, all the college girls were out and about. As soon as the temperature hits 50, the kids around here start pulling out their flip flops and shorts, and for the girls this means the short shorts. As I sat at a stop light, I watched two girls cross the street, sporting espadrilles and t-shirts for dresses. I thought to myself, "You just wait 15 years and you will not be able to wear outfits like that!" Then I realized that 15 years ago, I didn't wear clothes like that at all. Ever. I never looked like your typical college girl. I never had long, pretty, shiny hair. Thanks to my boy hair cut, I didn't own a brush for all four years of college. I never wore makeup. I preferred Teva sandals over stilettos. Neither my looks nor my personality fit the norm, so instead of trying to fit in, I did what came naturally to me. The final product-me-wasn't a social outcast by any means, just a funkier, quirki...

So, the big race is a month away. I've been training since before Christmas and boy am I ready- for it to be over. While my fab cuz will be running the race with me, she lives a few states away, so we have been training solo and reporting out weekly about what we call, "The emotional and physical roller coaster that is preparing to run 13.1 miles." Honestly, I don't know how real athletes do it. Training for a long-distance race isn't just about putting on your sneakers, going for a run and then going on with your day. You have to think about how much you sleep, what you put in your body and how you take care of your body at all times. For a mom who is already struggling to manage a job, a home, and a family, it seems that this 1/2 marathon is taking up a great deal of my already tapped mental and physical strength. I have been getting up at 5:30 two to three days a week to run 3-4 miles on the treadmill. Since I'm an early riser, this part hasn't been t...

Andy and I have three children; Caroline, Charlotte and each other. Most mornings, I wake up, run, and shower, and then I rouse the lazy daisies. I'll spend the next hour, sometimes gently, and more often angrily, demanding that the rest of my family get ready for the day. I scurry between rooms, reminding each of my family members about their next task: "Caroline, put on your shirt. Charlotte, brush your teeth. Andy, get off of the computer and go take a shower. Caroline, NOW! Charlotte, NOW! Andy, NOW!" The pattern is almost exactly the same each day. I can count on all three of them to be incapable of getting themselves ready without my cajoling. Yes, you're right. You're thinking that my expectations are a little high for a 5 and 1 year old. Perhaps this is true. Perhaps I'm asking too much for my kids to independently dress and prepare themselves for school. What about my big kid? Am I asking too much of Andy, the only other adult in the house, who mind ...

From time-to-time, a friend or relative without a child will ask me why I wanted to have kids. The comment usually comes when one, or both, of my girls are throwing a tempter tantrum or are climbing on me like a jungle gym and I am near tears and insanity. It is often hard, particularly at those moments, to clearly articulate exactly why it is that having kids is so truly rewarding. In the end, unconditional love would probably sum it up, however there are a million reasons why I love being a parent. From seeing someone who looks or acts like you, getting tons of hugs and kisses to knowing that you have the ability to mentor someone to become a change-maker, the rewards outweigh the challenges. With small children, one of the biggest perks I've been given is that I no longer take things for granted. I can honestly say that I don't even remember what it was like to not have kids. I mean, I remember being in high school and college and I look back on the crazy times of my you...

Since Caroline was born, Andy has participated in many a man-cation, from hunting in Northern Minnesota to living the fantasy at baseball camp, Andy has had no problem-o ditching the wife and kids for a few days of fun in the sun, or woods. I envy him because, since I've become a mom, I've really struggled to find time for myself. I feel guilty going to the grocery store by myself let alone flying off to a tropical location for some time sans kids. Andy and his buddies had been planning a southern man-cation for many months. At first, when I would inquire about the trip, he would scoff and say that his friend was crazy and that there was no way that he would even consider flying away, in the middle of the winter, for several days of manly R&R. Andy loves to please and hates to make me mad, so he often does this to me; tells me one thing while doing another. I've got his number so it really wasn't much of a surprise to me when he came home one day to tell me that ye...

I decided to add another resolution to my already ambitious list-learn how to properly handle and shoot a gun. What?! You say. This can't be? Really? If you know me you are thinking this for several reasons, the first being that I'm a card carrying liberal who supports pacifists, dislikes hunting and argues that guns kill too many innocent people. I've never really understood the passion people have for the right to bear arms or why you would tote a gun rack in the back of your pick up truck or have a hand gun as a hobby. The other reason why you may question, or be in fear of, this decision, is due to my lack of common sense and an inability to understand the mechanics behind how things work. During freshman year of college my friend, Smitty, had to plug the phone into the jack for me because I didn't understand why the phone didn't work. Just a month ago, another friend, Sara (also known as "my other husband" because she does this kind of stuff all the t...

5 haikus for a boy: Happy V Day, Boy, Eight Happy Years With You, Love. Here's to many, many more. I love you so much. You rock my world day and night. Please, do the laundry. To my best friend, Andy. You are so very handy. Glad you are around. We like to bicker. Others say, glad that's not us. Glad you're not us, too. Andy is my rock. I am better thanks to him. Hope he feels the same. And a few for a few girls: Your little round face, The sparkle in your kind eyes, My perfect sweetheart-love you! You came out quickly. And you've been running ever since. I love you, my elf.