“I wish I could have met G-Pa, Mommy,” said the small voice in the back seat of the car. I sigh. “Me too, honey. Me too.” The kids both know my father died when I was young. We talk about it occasionally and they ask questions at random moments. Lately, it’s been in the car…. [Read More]
I’m the Mom With the Crying Kindergartener
I ran and hid. I was doing absolutely no good by staying with him during this meltdown. It pained so many of my maternal instincts, but I knew I wasn’t helping. He was terrified to go to his classroom. I was confident he needed to. The standoff had gone on for seven minutes now and I… [Read More]
The crushing blow of “I Can’t”
At the park my three kids run, climb, jump and play as most kids do. I like watching them as they test their own limits and discover new capabilities. My oldest daughter has been practicing the monkey bars and can do them very well now. My son enjoys climbing & jumping off things, which make me nervous at times. He is… [Read More]
Sometimes I Don’t Like My Children
Sometimes I don’t like my children. And I’m learning that it’s okay. I’m not sure if I’m writing this to get some affirmation, or to hand some out. Either way, I’m being honest. It’s not that I don’t love them. Of course I do. It’s not even that I don’t usually like them. It’s just sometimes…. [Read More]
Moving away does not mean moving on
West Hartford, CT will always have a special place in my heart. Leaving this town and the community that lives within is way harder than I ever imagined. The Neal family will be moving back to North Carolina this summer. We will be closer to our family and we will have friends near us that we have known for the majority of… [Read More]
The Jekyll and Hyde of children
I’m leaving for a trip tomorrow. Four whole glorious days to focus on me. It feels a bit selfish, but it’s not. I need it. I need time with friends, time to focus on my career, skills and networking. I even need some time alone. My kids know I’m leaving. At four and six, we are… [Read More]
Life isn’t black and white {seeing race through the eyes of our children}
This morning we had some interesting conversations. It started with my son asking me why a friend of my daughter’s had brown skin and her mom had white skin. We talked a little bit about adoption, about how some people aren’t able to care for their babies and how lucky she was to have a… [Read More]
I don’t have babies anymore
I lay quietly next to you, watching your chest rise and fall as you slept. Every few minutes, you’d sigh and a little whistle would escape your nose. Weren’t you just a baby? Weren’t you just toddling down the hallway waiting for someone to praise you? Weren’t we just getting rid of the pacifier and… [Read More]
5 Get Ready for Kindergarten Skills
I spent years teaching kindergarten before I was an at home mom and there were definitely things I wished all of my students could do. Now, as I’m sending my own little guy into “big school,” I’m trying to make sure he’s as ready as possible. Surprisingly, it’s not really letters, phonics, and counting that… [Read More]
If I Knew Then What I Know Now #Sisterhoodunite
This post is part of a sponsorship with the Sisterhood of Motherhood campaign. Miss E is about to turn four. FOUR! My baby, my final child, has been around for 48 months. How is that even remotely possible? It’s been 1449 days since I brought her home from the hospital. It’s been 41 months since she… [Read More]
