Are You Too Critical?

How often do you start the day with a morning lecture? My 8-year-old daughter’s answer:  “Too many!” She’s probably right. If she asks for help locating her backpack, I spend five minutes “suggesting” that she hang it in the back hall where she can easily find it. If she complains about taking the same home lunch to school every day I “propose” that she expand her palate because there’s only so much I can do with strawberries, crackers and plain chicken. When she whines about not having enough time to eat a leisurely breakfast before school I “recommend” moving up … Continue reading

To Pacify or Not to Pacify. That is the Question.

I’ve blogged before about how my first child was/is a thumb sucker, and my second loved his pacifier, but finally kicked the habit, and now we have my third that I feel we are at a crossroads with. You see,  he hasn’t been a great sleeper because of his tummy issues. We’ve always felt the need to continue night feedings with him. Well, now he is 14 months old, and starting to eat more, and it seems that he is fine going without food all night long. Sounds great, right? Well, my problem is that he seems to be getting more … Continue reading

If You’re Grumpy and You Know It…Read a Book!

Logan has been pretty grumpy lately. I’m not really sure why, and frankly I’m not even sure if he knows why most of the time, but I’ve been a little concerned about it for a while. I noticed the change about a month or two ago and started looking for solutions to the problem. We talked about it often and most of the time I got very little response out of him. I knew something was bothering him, but he couldn’t seem to vocalize what it was. Instead he would hit, kick, scream, and throw things. I was at a … Continue reading

What is Your 11 Month Old Up To?

I am going to savor every moment of this last month. The last month before my baby officially turns into a one year old. I can’t take it. The time has gone by way too quickly. It always does. Today is his 11 month birthday and the best gift he could give me? He finally said Mama. Intentionally. You see, he has been saying “Dada” intentionally for a few months now. I have to admit that I’ve been more than a little jealous. My husband is fabulous and wonderful, and deserves the love too, but a Mom is always eager … Continue reading

Uh – Oh, Someone’s Tired!

You know you’re tired when your eyelids feel heavy even after drinking a cup of coffee. To compound matters, you work from home and you swear that your comfortable bed is calling to you from your bedroom. Sometimes, your work can be rearranged so that you spread today’s assignments out onto other days. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. You may be left with a few things that absolutely have to get done today. Here are a few tips on how you can get some work done while you are tired. I have already revealed a good first step to … Continue reading

Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say

I have always been one to avoid confrontation. There’s nothing I hate worse. Because of this, I often don’t express myself in a way that really lets the other person know how I’m truly feeling. While it is important to approach these situations with care, it is equally important to let your voice be heard. This is crucial in cases of divorce. This is one side of communication that my ex-husband and I really struggle with. In an effort to avoid confrontation neither one of us communicates the way we are feeling and eventually we both get tired of it … Continue reading

Postpartum Woes-Getting Your Groove Back

When I was struggling during the first few weeks and months of my little one’s life, it seemed so hard. In fact, it seemed that all of the tummy issues he had and lack of sleep was just too much for me to handle. I felt like I would never be back to my normal self now that I had three kids to take care of. I felt overwhelmed, tired, and in a fog. I had several friends say to me, “Oh, don’t worry, you will get back into the groove of motherhood in no time”. While, it didn’t happen … Continue reading

Should you have a pen name?

The question of adopting a pen name comes up for every aspiring author, freelance writer and blogger. Many who spend a lot of time online do not always feel comfortable using their real name. They do not want to bring added attention to their families. Some fear they are opening themselves up to more online undesirables that may intend some type of harm or slander. Many authors decide to write on sensitive material and find using a pen name gives them the ability to relate that material without bringing undo attention on themselves or family. Perhaps some find the idea … Continue reading

Finding Your Identity in Your Marriage

I never thought much about my life growing up. At times in my adult life when I’ve considered getting married, having kids, I didn’t have anything but my own thoughts at that time to rely on. It’s strange because I’m an obsessive planner for short-term details, but I can’t think of any point in my life when I’ve had a vision for the future. As a kid I always had dreams of what I wanted to be when I grew up: veterinarian, zoologist, reporter for National Geographic Magazine, but those were always just fleeting childhood whimsies. I never pictured myself … Continue reading

Does Your Work Make You Tired Sometimes?

Sometimes, it is not the physical demands of the work that you do that can leave you feeling completely drained but the emotional component of the work. Some jobs cause very little emotional fatigue but can be physically draining in one or more ways. Still other jobs offer little to no fatigue of any sort. Over the past few days, I have experienced all three situations. The most emotionally demanding work that I do is a part of my law practice. Some of the things that I do are transactional in nature and do not involve a lot of emotion, … Continue reading