“A mom of a man”
Friends, for five months I have been able to say that I am a mom of all teenagers, but now I find myself on the eve of yet another milestone. Tomorrow, at exactly 6:20 p.m. to be precise, I will no longer have three teenagers. And just like that...
The disappearing little boy
They just refuse to stay little. I knew it was coming. Boy #3 turned 8 in August and even though he’s just in the 2nd grade, he is transforming from little boy to plain ol’ boy right before my eyes. Darn him. It started with him talking about a...
Our perfectly imperfect themed birthday party
I have a thing for themes. Any kind of theme, really. I love pulling things together into a fun package. I loved it as a H.S. Language Arts teacher, I love it as a curator of features like Handmade in Iowa for the Des Moines Register, and I love...
The half-star day
Image via Wikipedia Boy #3 has been having, let’s call it “issues,” in school. I told you a couple weeks ago that he’s been naughty lately. The little dude is still struggling, and so are we. Last week, after getting an email from his teacher informing us of his...
Sometimes we pretend we’re normal folk
Once in a while — a great while — the stars align and we manage to accomplish a handful of feats that may be everyday to some but are a rare glimpse into normalcy for us. Yesterday appeared to be one of those days. Feat #1: I washed all...
Naughty Baby
What is it about the youngest? That’s what I’m asking myself this week as I reflect on Boy #3’s recent behavior (AND my reaction to it). It appears that he’s either going through a bit of a “naughty phase” or has become possessed by the ghost of Darth Maul....
Let Them Eat Cake (Just not in my bed)
I’m not sure if this is a trait of boys in general, or if my boys have some genetic malfunction. It certainly couldn’t have anything to do with my parenting skills… But I’m beginning to notice a trend. Granted, it’s only taken me about five years to recognize the...
We’ve got armpit hair! I repeat—we’ve got armpit hair!
As much as I’d like to think of Boy #1 as that cute little dude in overalls and moon boots who I caught pushing the mop in the kitchen and saying, “I help, Mommy?” in that cute toddler voice, it’s probably time I face the facts . . ....