In a family of six COUSINS, my youngest was suddenly the only one other than the six-year- old who didn’t know the truth.

It was time for us to tell him.

We posed the question about whether or not he believed and he shot us both his infamous side-eye and flashed his double-dimpled grin. Clearly he already knew.

But, behind his mischievous smile was a hint of fear and sadness.
Originally published on Filter Free Parents. Click HERE for full article.

The first parent-teacher conferences of the year happened this week and man did I get schooled.
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As a mother of a 15-year-old and a 12-year-old, I’ve been to more parent-teacher conferences than I can easily count.
But, as each one approaches, the part of myself that I consider a recovering perfectionist starts to creep to the surface.

​Originally published on Filter Free Parents. Click HERE for full article.

This morning I was struck with a deep sense of gratitude. As I meandered my way down the hallway in the early morning hours to wake my high schooler for the day, I smiled at the calmness that now fills my home. 


In a normal year, our mornings would be a complete frenzy of activity. Total chaos would rule our day from the moment the 5:00AM alarm on my phone rang until we all finally crawled into our beds at the end of the day. It would be a race against the clock as we scurried around the house each morning trying to get everything done in time for us to leave for the day. 

Originally published on Grown and Flown. Click HERE to read full article.

Picture it: You are at a sporting event. All around you, there are sounds of swearing, fans shouting insults at coaches, and people arguing with each other. The air is filled with tension. People are yelling things like:

“Are you kidding me?”
“Use your head!”
“What is WRONG with you?”
“What do you know? You shouldn’t even be an ump!”
“We don’t have all day — make a play!”
Just another day at any professional sporting event right?

Nope. 

This is another day at a youth sporting event. Any city. Any town. Any sport. Any age.

Originally published on Her View From Home. Click HERE to read full article.

Yesterday I got to relearn slopes and angles so I could effectively support my 9th grader in geometry. Then I got to develop a tracking system that would work for my 6th grader to help him better manage the sometimes too subtle details of his class assignments. Later I got to help with a story map and reviewing point of view vs. perspective. 


It is a luxury, for sure, to be able to spend this time with my children without having to worry about working at the exact same moment. In my younger days, I actually taught 6th grade math and study skills for middle schoolers. I loved my time as a teacher so this should be my jam. It’s not.

I love being their mom but I hate being their teacher.

​Originally published on Her View From Home. Click HERE to read full article.

Before I became a parent, I assumed parenting was hard.

Then I had my first baby and quickly realized that parenting is way harder than I ever could have imagined.

When my baby became a toddler with his own big personality, an inhuman-like ability to slither like a snake out of my arms when he didn’t want to be carried, and a deep commitment to throwing massive tantrums, I realized that parenting had somehow become even more challenging.

Fast forward to today and I find myself facing the hardest phase yet of parenting: parenting a high schooler. With just a short bit of time so far under his belt as a high school freshman, I find myself more confused than ever when it comes to how to parent my son. ​​

Originally published on Grown and Flown. Click HERE to read the full article.

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This is often a time of year when I feel so completely alive as a mother – clear in how I am valued and where I am needed. It also is a time of when I feel stressed, overwhelmed, and alone — the weight of a successful start to the new school year resting solely on my shoulders. 
Today that weight was lifted and I am equal parts relieved, heartbroken, and proud. 

Originally published on Grown and Flown. Click HERE to read the full article.

This is our official first day of high school picture and it sums up our feelings on the school year perfectly.

No.

Nope.

Not this.

Stop.

Get out.

Go away.

We want normal.

Every parent, student, teacher, and administrator is having their patience, compassion, and ability to strike balance tested on a serious level these days.

After just one day of a hybrid model of remote and in-person learning, I’m exhausted as a parent.

I’ve spent all my hopefulness. I’ve used all my patience. I’ve done all I can do.

Our family gave today our best. Tonight we regroup, refuel, reset our expectations, and hope that each day will get easier.

A friend’s child asked her today “will it always be like this?”

We all could benefit from asking ourselves that question every day.

We need to remember that this time in our lives will pass. It is temporary. Brighter days are ahead.

It will not always be like this.

​Here’s to finding the bright spots while we wait.

As the summer begins to wind down and fall begins to knock gently on our door, I typically find myself in my happy place—not because of pumpkin spice anything, or leggings and boots, or shiny new academic year planners and school supplies — but because both of my boys are boys of fall.

Article originally published on Her View From Home. Click HERE to read the full article.