This is Mom Life

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  • The Hardest Part of School Might Be for Parents

    Finding your new school tribe — without feeling like you’re dating again — can be just as challenging for parents as starting a new school is for kids. You watch your children navigate new routines, make friends, and find their place, all while juggling schedules, supplies, and a million little details. And then there’s you… Read more

  • When Everything Changes At Once

    What. A. Week!I’m exhausted. First day of school.First week of school.At a brand new school. Nerves, excitement, smiles—and minimal tears. Total win. This moment has been a long time coming. Last November we first considered switching schools. My son was on board right away. My daughter? Not so much. She was still adjusting from Montessori—three… Read more

  • When Your Kids Act Like Real People

    Maybe They Are Going to Be OK We were on vacation last week, and I had one of those moments — you know the kind. The “Maybe my kids won’t be completely useless members of society” kind of moment. We were having lunch outside on the porch when I knocked over my drink. It spilled… Read more

  • Tales From The Too-Late Solutions Club

    Why is it that the most obvious solution takes forever and a day to dawn on us—while we suffer in silence like noble martyrs of mild inconvenience? Case in point: we live in a very old stone house. The kind that’s charming and historic and also seems to run on spite. The first-floor walls are… Read more

  • Braced For It: Our Orthodontia Era Begins

    We’ve officially entered Middle Childhood. And Middle Childhood = Orthodontia. Not for just one kid.  BOTH.  Because why suffer gradually when you can suffer all at once? The dentist told us in October: “April’s probably the time.”By June? “Maybe another six months.”Meanwhile, I’m sitting there thinking: I already set aside the money in my FSA.… Read more

  • I Swear I Did Stuff: A Domestic Mystery

    I spent the weekend being productive.At least, that’s what I thought I was doing. I didn’t lounge. I didn’t binge-watch a single thing. I was busy. I was doing things.Little things.The five-minute tasks you put off until they pile up like a week’s worth of vacation laundry.Nothing flashy—just quiet, nagging nonsense that needed to be… Read more

  • From Excavators to Eye Rolls

    I am lucky to have two healthy children.I’m luckier to have one of each. I’ll be honest—I think I was a little bummed when we found out our first was a boy. I secretly hoped for a girl. But looking back, I’m so glad he came first. I’m as Type A as they come, and… Read more

  • Marriage Means Never Using the Dryer Correctly

    “THE SWIMSUITS DO NOT GO IN THE DRYER!” I yelled down the stairs to my husband. I’ve told him this countless times. Also: Do not do the laundry. I know, I know… I’m supposed to ask for help. But when it comes to laundry? I don’t want the help. Because his way of helping usually… Read more

  • Mom’s Summer Life Skills Camp

    School’s out… fooorrr the summerrrrrr!!! Finally. No more back-to-back sporting events.No more homework.No more concerts, recitals, or showcases.No more birthday parties or end-of-year chaos.No more limbo about what next school year might look like. Just. Simple. Summer. Camp. Beach. Repeat. That’s our rhythm—and I love it. Because summer is a simpler season for us, I… Read more

  • Relaxation, Mom-Style (or something like it)

    Have you ever seen the Bluey episode called “Relax”? The Heelers are on vacation, and instead of running to the sunny beach, the kids want to play in the bathtub. Bless Bandit—he tells Chilli to just go to the beach by herself. So she does. Hat on, sunscreen applied, ocean sounds in her ears, sun… Read more