Raising boys is an adventure! Here are the “boys will be boys” stories, the laughs, the tips, the serious and the outrageous stuff about raiding boys.
Mother’s Day is fast-approaching. I wonder if my silly boys will make me breakfast in bed like they often do, only to eat it before I even get a bite! We hear so much about how boys are all snakes and snails and puppy-dog tails, but they really do have a sweet side, too. I also often hear that “boys love their mamas,” and of course it’s true, right? I surveyed boys, guys, men of various ages with one simple…
Are you living the adventure of raising boys? If you told a kid in your house today to take his hands out of his pants (or if you laugh as you remember doing so when your kids were younger), I’m guessing you have a son. If you balance the question “What sports does he play?” with the answer “I just want him to be active and happy,” and if you’ve found an appreciation for the talent of destruction, again, I’m…
If you know me at all, you know I thrive on creativity and love to foster creativity in children as well. Since I was a wee little girl I’ve been writing books, poems and songs, doing arts and crafts projects, and launching small businesses during elementary school in the playroom of my house. Creativity comes easy to me, and I’m energized by it and by other creative people. And if you’ve followed my blog on Facebook or Instagram, you’ve definitely…
Mother’s Day has always been one of my favorite holidays, even long before I became a mother. Probably because my mother is my everything and is worth celebrating every single day. She’s my worrier and my biggest fan, my voice of reason even when I don’t agree with her, my soother, my funny friend, my model for kindness, the person who knows what I’m feeling before I realize I’m feeling it, the one who can communicate with me with just…
Books for boys can be hard to choose. In my house of boys, I have good readers skill-wise, but they don’t actually enjoy reading or choose it as an activity. I’m always looking for books that will catch their attention and let them think positively about reading — like an adventure awaiting them when they open the cover and dive in. Enter Dave McGrail. Back in my days of velcro sneakers and recess, I knew him as a nice, smart,…
Sometimes, parenting three kids is so easy (Wait, what? Remind me that I said that). Other days, I get dizzy from my head turning this way and that way answering “What?” “Yes!” “Hold on a second!” “Don’t do that.” “In a minute.” “I said IN A MINUTE.” After yelling “I have only two eyes, but three kids to watch!” and “THERE IS ONLY ONE MOMMY HERE!!!!” today in absolute frustration, I figured it was a good time to post this…
Screen time: It’s like profanity in some houses, blasphemy in others. Here, it’s a way of life. It’s part of making it work as a working mom of three boys, trying to get through each day with some semblance of sanity. I remember the days when “let’s make a Hot Wheels car parade!” or “let’s jump in a pile of stuffed animals!” was the perfect suggestion to keep a young boy, a toddler and an infant occupied. Little D would…
Being a good mom, the way I judge it, actually includes doing many things I never thought I’d do. Things like yelling at my kid in public or letting them watch TV in the morning before school. And lying to them. Wait — there are lies parents tell? Yep. And don’t worry, I don’t make a habit of lying to them on purpose, but I have definitely noticed that when I’m pushed to my limits, the lies — or empty…
Maintenance Required. When that message popped up on my dashboard display, I felt like my car was judging me. How dare it suggest I need a bit of self care! Yes, I’ve been working long hours, super-busy with kids’ projects and homework and events, still getting up to speed in my new role at work, having a midlife crisis (yes, I think I’ve hit that age. Isn’t this when 80’s movies would just depict men buying convertibles? Maybe I’ll try…
Yep, I’m a working mom. There’s always a lot going on. Like this. The scene: My husband is away. I responsibly lay out the ingredients for homemade chicken meatballs, a dinner the kids typically love and one that is OK for the “healthier” eating kick I’m attempting right now. I reach up in a cabinet to get out the breadcrumbs, when the can of cooking spray falls from the top shelf and bops me right on whatever that bone is…