Murphy's Laws for Moms

As Christmas quickly approaches, my children's Christmas lists are surely growing and growing and growing.  Despite the fact that we have talked to our children about the fact that we are limiting presents this year and that there are many children around the world who don't have anything, my children continue to write the Christmas lists to Santa.  At the top of this list...pets. Yes, that is pets - plural.  For some reason my children think that our house should be Noah's Ark.  The list of appropriate pets to have ranges from dogs (of which we already have two), cats, birds, bats, and even unicorns (Yes, the great Unicorn Debate continues).  What my children lack in comprehending is the needs and responsibilities surrounding pets. Pets are wonderful creatures, no matter the type.  They have allowed me to teach my children about kindness towards animals, being careful, asking permission to pet them, understanding hearing "no" can protect both child an...

Over the past year, I noticed an increasing trend amongst my children: they were getting greedier and greedier.  I wonder if I should just show them the movie The Grinch and say, this is what you look like.  The greed has proliferated every area of our lives.  I see it when I'm making breakfast and my child didn't want to eat scrambled eggs and bacon.  I see it when we're purchasing gifts for family or friends when my child complains how they don't have this toy or that toy.  I see it when we're talking about doing something special and the activity isn't special enough. My children are not happy with the everyday. This is a problem.  I do not want my children growing up thinking that they can have everything they want. I want them to know that they are blessed to have the things that they have.  I want them to be compassionate to others who don't have basic needs.  I want my children to understand that they can make a difference to other ...

Recently, I was invited to attend TNT Portland - a tech and travel blog event sponsored by Techlicious and Traveling Mom .  The event was held at The Westin Portland .  During the event, I was able to tour the facilities provided at the Westin, learn more about the services available for families traveling to Portland, and taste some of the new menu offered at the Daily Grill. This hotel starts your stay off with quality and their top-rated valet service.  Not only do these valets take great care of your car, but they can also answer nearly any question you ask about what to do, where to eat, and what to see while staying in Portland. Picasso hanging next to the lobby elevator The Library As you then enter the Westin, you must take time to look around at the amazing artwork - including a Picasso near the lobby elevator - surrounding you.  From the furniture to the silver bar service on display to the fire pit in The Daily Grill, you will be made to feel ...

I try very hard not to be too much of a helicopter mom and let my children learn through experience.  This often means skinned knees, bumps and bruises.  But, there's one area of our lives where I am unwilling to take risks with my children...in the car. In watching out for my children's car safety, I have found that what sometimes may appear to be a good car seat can really be a pain in your you-know-where.  Do parents really need to have a Ph.D. in physics in order to properly install the car seats?  For some seats, the answer appears to be yes. When my oldest daughter outgrew her convertible car seat and I was not ready for her to be in a regular booster seat, I did my research and fell in love with the Britax Frontier harness booster seat.  It is narrow, so you can fit multiple seats in the back row, it's fairly easy to install, and it keeps my wiggly child contained should we ever be in an accident.  So, when my son grew to the size where he, too,...

Road tripping with a 1:2 adults-to-kids ratio isn't always fun.  There are moments when you wonder if you're really going to make it to your destination.  You're lucky when you can find a decent hotel with two double beds, but realize that means you'll still - most likely - end up with at least one child sleeping horizontally across your body with a foot in your face and an elbow in your stomach...after you spent two hours trying to get both kids to sleep in the bed opposite you.  A potty stop automatically adds at least 30 minutes to your travel time when you count in the extra time herding children through the convenience store, past all of the "goodies" they just have to have, and into a tiny space where you may or may not have toilet paper.  Then, reversing the process and hearing the same arguments all the way back to the car.  This isn't even counting the debates held with children who think they are old enough to go into the opposite sex bathroom by...

As a parent I feel like I'm walking a line...a very narrow line that isn't always clear and has so many sharp turns and crossings that I find myself turning in circles, getting dizzy, and wondering if I can manage to stay upright. If I'm able to stay on the line, then my kids may grow up to be the next Einstein, Mother Teresa, or Ghandi.  If I can't stay on the line...well, I don't even want to think about what could happen. Every day I walk the line but I'm doing it blindfolded.  I don't know if my choices, my actions, and my words will positively or negatively impact my kids.  Am I spending enough time with my kids?  Did I give them an appropriate explanation when they asked where babies came from or did I just scar them for life?  Will I get my kids' hopes up when talking about Santa Claus or am I setting them up for disappointment?  When is it really, truly important that I be the bad guy (or mean mom) instead of the fun mom and friend?  And so m...

As my children and I continued our 5,100-mile journey across the U.S, we decided to take a scenic break and drive from Bozeman, Montana down to West Yellowstone.  After all, it didn't look that far on the map! Thankfully, we did this the same day we visited the Museum of the Rockies, so my children were armed with their newly purchased binoculars and were on the hunt for buffalo. Big Sky, Montana The drive down to West Yellowstone ended up taking quite a bit longer than I anticipated - about 90 minutes - but was well worth our time.  The expedition to find buffalo began as we journeyed along the Gallatin River, witnessing numerous rafters and fly fishermen.  Big Sky was the perfect stopping point for a potty break and for my children to view this majestic mountain.  A quick photo stop during our buffalo expedition We continued on our journey looking for wildlife, but the day's rainfall must have kept them all hidden.  Despite the long journey do...