Freedom Will Come

I was shopping alone at World Market the other night when I found myself staring for what seemed like hours at the clearance tables. I was nearly alone in the store and I felt a sudden, frantic realization that I was in fact very, very alone. No kids. No other shoppers. I just stood staring at the tables like maybe they’d start talking just to help fill the infinite void of sound. I was transfixed. I was by myself for the first time in a long time. I mean, I guess you could argue that I was alone when I drove to the store, but I always have the radio on and my mind is off planning....more

Grad Mom

Grad Mom So many mixed emotions today, elation, pride, sadness, nostalgia,happiness, ptimism, frustration, wonder, jubilation, relief, anciety, and hope.  Difficult but fabulous day today as a mom of a high school graduate.   When the kid graduates so does the mom. ...more

6 Things This Mom Learned in the First 6 Months

Today, my baby is 6 months old. I can't believe how fast the time has gone! And naturally, after 6 months, I am a parenting expert so I am sharing with you... 6 Things I Learned in 6 Months of Mommyhood 1. You can't plan. There is no schedule. You should plan on having no idea what is gong to happen next....more
Love this!  I hated the advice thing.  And Aubrey slept in her car seat for like the first four ...more

Mother's Day Is Not My Mother's Day

This is a hard post. Very hard. Every year I face the same feeling towards celebrating Mother's Day, I am untouched. Celebrating Mother's day is not a synonym of celebrating me (in my head) even though I'm totally qualified for it now. Mother's Day resonates to me as to celebrate my own mother. And that is every year as you know. ...more

Why is My Fetus Trying to Ride a Bike?

His first word was mama.Actually, it was probably something more like mmm mmm mmm,  but I totally knew what he meant.  Soon, it became a clear ma  ma  with a cute little pause between the syllables. I loved hearing it....more

Which Of Mom's Food Dishes Were Your Favorites?

Isn't it amazing how food (especially great food) can evoke the past? This week's poll wonders about your favorite food memories from childhood. Did your mother cook something so special that you dream about it to this day? Was it a casserole? A secret recipe passed down from one generation to the next? My mother loved to cook, and around the holidays our big kitchen was alive with the fragrance of cinnamon and nutmeg. I learned how to cook Swedish meatballs from my mom, who in turn had learned it from her mom, who was actually born and raised in Sweden....more
Rice and beans and homemade bread. I can still remember coming home from school, hungry, and ...more

Toddler-hood and its many surprises

I was reminiscing the other day, about a time when my boys were younger.  Sure, kids are a handful at every age; it's just the particular type of stress that changes as they age.  Currently, we are in that "hurry up and go from one activity to another without giving me attitude" stage.  But I remember well the days of toddler-hood when they are just independent enough to wreak havoc in the blink of an eye. ...more


Flipping through the channels — I hear “…and she was very successful”.Hmmmmm, successful.  Made me think — am I successful?  What does successful mean?...more

On Being a Mom and PhD Student

I personally can't imagine being a mom and a student going for a Ph.D. Yet I know it can be done. I have clients who have done this (while working full time in addition) and there are many of you out there. I particularly like this post from Midwestern Berliners as she navigates the Mommy Ph.D. challenge. (It is part one of a four part series, so check out the others as well.) ...more
I'm so glad to find other Mom PhDers out there. I feel like I'm doing such a crappy job at the ...more

Motherhood… a whole other level of EXHAUSTION.

I am exhausted. I am physically and mentally tired so often that I honestly have just stopped recognizing how exhausted I really am. I am a perfectly healthy active young woman (well… young may be exaggerating), yet I feel like I am constantly just overcoming the feeling of being worn out. I look around and I see other moms that have just as much on their plate that always seem to look like they are full of energy. Am I missing something?...more