When my husband first said let's take the kids to Nicaragua, I worried. I saw pictures of the place he wanted to stay and the first thing I worried about was the pool. Next, were all the unbaby-proofed pitfalls waiting around every jagged corner. The worries continued. How well will...
I spend a lot of my day in motion--cleaning, cooking, carting--basically, careening from one moment to the next. It's a perpetual cycle of ups and downs, back and forths, over here, to over there, go, go, gone. On the surface, there isn't much to show...
One of my best friends is on the fence about having children, but I'm not, I told her not to. My advice isn't because I regret becoming a mother, or that I think she'd be a bad one--on the contrary. I know she'd be a...
There are six women I call my best friends. I would walk through hell-fire for these women and the feelings are mutual. I am exceptionally fortunate in this regard. I love my mother, but I would not characterize her as one of my best friends although the...
A fuse that led to the fate of the rest of my life was lit and burned for five helpless minutes. In the sixty seconds that followed those five minutes, it reached its target and detonated my heart inside my chest. Now, I will never...
Right now I am on vacation with my two children, husband, my parents and in-laws. The eight of us rented a house for seven days near Mt. Rainier National Park which is roughly two hours from my house, door-to-door. Mt. Rainier is the tallest mountain...
I believe in Karma. The word Karma comes from Eastern religions such as Hindu and Buddhism. The literal translation is "action" or "deed," but it is understood as that which causes an entire cycle of cause and effect. Although its origins are ancient, it has been...
I need space to think. I know this about myself. I need time to reflect, to ponder, to remember over and over and over the reasons why what I'm doing is important. I need time to untangle the thoughts and emotions that twist like vines in my head, and to...
I'm a little embarrassed to admit this (so when has that stopped me?) but the biggest shock I received when I became a new parent was how needy newborns were. Crazy right? Like I totally should have known this going into to it. Like, of course you dumbass...
It's a rainy afternoon when the boredom gives way to silliness and Daddy wrestles with Daughter on the floor while Baby Boy claps his hands and squeals wildly making Mommy grow sudden tears. It's the recognition that Your whole world sits in front of You on a small square...