The Ups, The Downs, and Everything in Between
On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you love Halloween? I told the other #hustlemoms I’d write something this month so I’ve been thinking about what to write about and how I felt about Halloween for a few weeks now. If you had to guess, whether or not I’d be into Halloween, what would you say? If you guessed “she’s not that into it”, you’re right. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike Halloween, nor do I have a problem with anyone …
It is just so trippy being a parent sometimes. I don’t know how many of you find yourself having this deja vu moment, although its role reversal, but you are having the same conversation you had with your own parent – as the parent. <shudder> I distinctly remember feeling my mom had no idea what I was going through or that she would never understand my complex emotions and situations I found myself in as a pre-teen or teen. Now that I have a pre …
“I’m not like a regular mom, I’m a cool mom!” I can’t tell you how many times I have said that to my friends and laughed. Amy Poehler does such a great job delivering that line in Mean Girls. But now, in this moment, I’m like shit, I have to stop saying that. Let me tell you what happened. I had an early morning snuggle with my girl on the couch and it was so nice because it doesn’t happen too often any more. She …
Standing in line at a speedway with my 9 year old daughter, I was absolutely mortified by what a middle aged man was doing right behind us. Let me paint a picture of this person because, as you may of noticed I said middle aged, he was salt and peppery and not some teen or even early twenty something that is at that self absorbed point in his life that he doesn’t realize there are people around him, no he looked mid forties to early …
An excerpt from: Wring out your sponge. There is a metaphor for life. It’s often been said that we are sponges to the things that are around us in our daily life and the people that are closest to us. You absorb what’s around you. You’re a sponge. But you also have choices! You can wring some of it out so you don’t absorb it! What do you do with the days that are more like spilled milk than glitter? Wring them out! Treat the …
Text at 7:00 am Mom: Please call me. As you pick up the phone and make the call a haze settles in anticipating the worst, but ultimately knowing if the worst hits, there was no amount of preparation for it. Its a call I’ve made upon similar request before and I remember how each has ended. When the haze clears the memory remains of exactly where you were, what you were doing and how you felt. For me, it is a gut punch. The air …
Recently I was honored with a nomination for the Chicagoland Admin Awards, and was beyond thrilled to find out I was a finalist for the Leadership Award. I could not believe it! It was the most exciting day to read my name as a finalist! This award represented so much to me. First, I truly love my job. I may complain about the stress or how tired I am or getting a call about the alarm going off in the middle of the night (I …
My kids are finally at the ages when each holiday I wonder, “Is this is the one when they stop believing?” I had a friend in college that told me her mother said, if any of her children told her they don’t believe in Santa or the Easter Bunny, then they won’t get presents. She laughed when she told me that, and loved her mother’s need for her happy bubble of holding on to her children’s innocence. At the time I thought, while a sweet …
Parenting and being among other parents in a social setting often feels like the first week of college. Trying to figure your life alongside a bunch of strangers and wanting to make friends, but cautious you don’t end up with the weirdos. (Sidenote, I landed with the best damn bunch of weirdos after all, much love friends). Almost every time I’m with my kids and there’s potential to connect with other parents socially, I’m at a loss. All of the non-verbals that make you accessible: …
Many moons ago I had a copywriting professor that said, “write hot, edit cold” in the moment, that’s where the magic happens. You’re not concerned about if something sounds odd or if a comma is missing. The juices are flowing and you just let it go. Then, once its all out of your head and on the page, walk away. Get a coffee, do some laundry, have a beer (whatever strikes your fancy) and then come back. Its upon your return to the writing that …