Parenting

Instead of having to remember exact moments and carefully fill them into the defined spaces of a baby book, I wanted to give my son something that he will appreciate and enjoy looking back on. I decided that for every event that I deem important and want to remember, I will write him a card.

I lamented over the fact that her little girl days were numbered. Well, you guys, it’s happening. She’s growing up.

There is so much to be grateful for if your kids are hot messes at the end of the day! It’s all about perspective, even when our patience as parents is wearing thin and we’re ready for the peace and quiet once their adorable, whiny heads hit the pillows.

I’m now 33, which is not a big milestone by any means. It actually takes me a beat lately to remember my age. Nonetheless, it feels like I’m entering that interesting age range titled “mid-thirties.”

My husband always felt super competitive against his brother, which led to a lot of sibling rivalry as well. Because of this, my husband and I always said that we would work hard to make sure our kids are not competitive with each other!

It’s crazy how some days it feels like my children are listening to EVERY word a person says, yet other days they don’t seem to hear a word they are told. When my children repeat something I wish they weren’t saying, I start to question where they could have heard that from.

My husband and I have talked a lot about that a lot this week.  Truth of the matter: we can’t shelter our kids.  We can’t let them walk through life with blinders.  So, what values can we instill in them to help fend off the bad?

Now, the only journal I keep is a small, 5-year daily calendar with about 4 tiny lines for each day.  You only have space for one single memory per day.  I bought this calendar when my twins were born four years ago, and I have not kept up very well until this year. 

If you are like me, then you genuinely like spending summertime with your kids. Most of the time. Just not all of the time. But there’s still a lot of daylight between now and that first school bell, moms. So here are some tips to keep your cool during the stresses of summer:

My son, like most young kids, is focused on a very specific interest. For some kids, it’s dinosaurs, dolls, or sports, but for my oldest, it is construction. Trucks – everything trucks. It is an obsession.