Murphy's Laws for Moms

Dear Sweet Pea, Today is an important day.  You are two!  You are changing from an infant to a toddler right before my eyes, and it is an amazing process.  You are learning so many things, and you make me so happy to teach you. I am not a perfect mother.  I have already made mistakes.  I already have things I wish I'd done differently.  I have been tired when you want to play.  I have yelled when I should be patient.  I have not always understood you when you were trying so hard to tell me something.  I have been busy when you wanted time with me.  But, I want you to know that you are the joy in my life and one of the reasons why I want to improve myself. You are not a perfect child.  You do things that I tell you not to do.  You throw temper tantrums.  You make messes.  You say "no" when you should say "yes."  You want dessert when you haven't eaten your dinner.  But, you were and still are the perfect gift...

I may not have mentioned this already, but last year my husband and I made the decision that I should leave my job.  Working nearly full time - even telecommuting from home - and raising a child with a husband also working full time was causing a lot of stress on my life and my marriage, but it also wasn't allowing us to raise our child the way that we had hoped.  The transition from paid worker to unpaid servant was difficult.  And, it's still something that I cope with each day.  However, I've found ways to redefine myself not just as a mom, but as a professional with some serious clout!  I became a volunteer. Volunteers aren't typically thought of as being professional nor building career reputations.  This image is definitely wrong...when you've got the right organization training you.  Several years ago, I made the decision to join the Junior League.  While I originally did this to make friends, this decision has grown into a commitment and a...

Ever since becoming a mom, there are key words and phrases that I have tried my best not to say.  It's not that there's really anything wrong with these words and phrases...it's that I don't want to become the cliche mom who is always saying things like, "Because I said so" or "When I was your age..."  So far, I've done pretty well at skipping these phrases, but I've been shocked at some of the other things that come out of my mouth when talking to my sweet pea.  So, I thought I'd share... We don't touch puppy/cat/pig/goat/bunny bottoms. Heads don't go in potties. Dip your food, not your fingers. We only spit after brushing our teeth. Puppy food is for puppies. You pooped in the potty!!  YEAH! We don't drink Bud Light........yet. (Hey, I'm from St. Louis) What phrases have most surprised you after flowing from your lips?

It's been a while since my last blog.  Life seems to take up so much more time once my Sweet Pea started walking.  It's been just over a month, but I've already lost the ability to focus on individual tasks as they continually get interrupted by the need to get someone out of the dog bowls, out of the plants, into the potty, or redressed.  Busyness has been completely redefined when you're looking our for someone with a 30-second attention span. However, life as a mother is also a lot more interesting and challenging as each new accomplishment is achieved. My Sweet Pea interacts with me (albeit, not always for the best) and tells me some of what she wants (apparently, I never feed her as she's always asking for "more").  She looks at the world with eyes I wish I still had...eyes that never get bored.  She can read Dr. Seuss's Mr Brown Can Moo over and over and, every time she gets to "He can sound like a hand on a door..." she knocks her own...

Before having a child, I thought that I didn't have many regrets.  I have had a good life and been blessed to do many things.  What was there to regret? However, as I watch my child grow, I notice that there are so many times when I have rushed through life and avoided really focusing on what's around me.  Having a child has changed that.  Not only do I now have to notice everything around me (for fear that my child will get into it), but I have to teach my child about all that surrounds her...to know the difference between red and purple, one and ten, dogs and cats, edible and yucky, play time and quite time, good and bad, right and wrong, and so many more things. Just this morning, I found myself trying to rush through the day so that we could get to nap time.  I needed rest after the lack of sleep this week has brought me.  But, my daughter didn't want anything to do with it.  She wasn't throwing a temper tantrum (thankfully) and she wasn't screechi...

I love to eat out.  I'm not quite a foodie, but I do appreciate a restaurant with a peaceful ambiance and fine cuisine.  Now, this past statement and the title of my blog may appear to be a paradox but, as many mothers may agree, it is not. Red Robin, and similar restaurants, is one of the most relaxing places for me to enjoy a peaceful night out with my family or just my daughter and me.  It's peaceful because I cannot hear my daughter screeching over the sound of the music, other patrons, and other kids screeching around us.  It's the perfect place to go when you don't want others to know exactly how loud your child can get when out in public.  It's also perfect because they serve meals that resemble healthy food.  You can order grilled chicken with fruit and vegetables instead of everything fried.  Now, the games in the waiting area may appear to be distractions which have the ability to cause tantrums at the drop of a dime (or dollar, as inflation ...

For those of you who read this - I know it's not too many - some of you know me personally, so this won't come as a shock to you.  But, for the rest of you, there's a minor, personal detail which I've left out of my previous blog posts.  If you've been following me for any period of time, this may be surprising to you as I've shared the in's and out's of pregnancy, labor, and delivery, as well as many other sordid details of parenting.  But, alas, there is one important item which I've neglected to share. I am a military spouse.  Now, you may be wondering what this means and what it has to do with the title of this post on being a single parent.  This essentially means that there are times when my husband cannot be around to be the father that I know he wants to be.  There are times when I must make the decisions for my family.  And, there are times when I must struggle through tantrums, milestones, life lessons, and other childhood dramas without su...