Aprons, Heels, and Yoga Pants

The Friendship of a Daughter

If you are lovingly following along on my motherhood/midlife journey, you may have figured out that my oldest daughter, has blessed me with a grandchild…oh and her husband helped. Let’s give credit where credit is due, shall we? My beauty, Carolann, recently had her 26th birthday. Not sure how that is possible since I am […]

Melissa

August 3, 2020

Uncategorized

adult daughter, changes, cjildren, daughters, encouragement, extrovert, family, grandchild, grandchildren, grandmother, grandparents, growing up, inspiration, introvert, life, middle age, midlife, mommy, moms, mother’s love, motherhood, Nana, raising children, raising daughters, raising teenagers, raising teens, relationships, strong willed, stubborn
The Slow Break Up

I’ve heard it said that raising a son is like a slow, painful break up. I have to agree with that. Today my Luke is 17. I’ll say, my, until it is no longer appropriate. i.e…when a woman steals his heart. He stole mine 17 years ago. Thank you for humoring me six times a […]

Melissa

July 30, 2020

Uncategorized

birthday, changes, childbirth, compassion, empathy, encouragement, family, growing up, home, inspiration, life, love, Marines, military, mother’s love, motherhood, National Guard, parenthood, parenting, pregnancy, raising children, raising sons, raising teenagers, raising teens, relationships, single mom, single mother, single motherhood, single parenting, slow down, strength, time
How to Homeschool

I have received quite a few requests lately, asking how to homeschool. The reason for the sudden interest, is of course the pandemic we are living in, and some tough decisions parents and schools are trying to make about school in the fall. So I thought why not do some writing on the topic, as […]

Melissa

July 23, 2020

Uncategorized

books, changes, charlotte mason, classical conversations, classical education, classical method, eclectic approach, education, family, feelings, home, home education, homeschool, homeschool high school, homeschool philosophies, homeschooling, homeschooling grade school, homeschooling teenagers, how to homeschool, inspiration, life, Little House on The Prairie, living books, middle age, moms, motherhood, parenting, passion, raising chidren, schoo, school, single mom, single mother, single parenting, stay at home mom, the well trained mind, thoughts, traditional approach, unit studies, unit study, unschool, unschooling, whole book method, whole books
Mothers – Don’t Forget to Exhale

Here they are…in all their glory….This was Sunday night, and I had just gotten my babies back after their weekend with dad. I was so exhausted after two insomniac nights, but there’s not a chance I would turn down my four children wanting to plop on my bed and just hang out. How sweet is […]

Melissa

July 15, 2020

Uncategorized

adulthood, changes, exhale, family, feelings, growing up, growing up too fast, home, inspiration, life, love, middle age, motherhood, parenthood, parenting, parents, raise them well, raising babies, raising children, raising teenagers, raising teens, raising tweens, relationships, single dad, single mom, single mother, single motherhood, single parenting, thoughts, what is motherhood
Stop Telling Teenagers This Isn’t That Bad

I have heard it said a lot lately, that teenagers should quit moping, after all they don’t have it as bad as a senior in high school during the Vietnam war did. Agreed. For sure. Every era has their own bad time. As a 48 year old myself, I’d say this current situation with the Coronavirus […]

Melissa

May 9, 2020

Uncategorized

anxiety, bad mood, children, Coronovirus, COVID-19, emotional health, emotions, extrovert, friendship, kids, lockdown, lonely, mental health, mommies, motherhood, pandemic, parenting, parents, raising children, raising teenagers, raising teens, raising tweens, shelter in place, single mom, single motherhood, single parenting, stay home, summer job, teenagers, tweens
Bourbon and Inspiration

As she danced alone in the living room to Joan Jett’s, I Hate Myself For Loving You, while proudly holding the old fashioned she had made on her own, she wondered….I joke of having lost my quarantined mind. But maybe, just maybe I really have?? It’s me. I am the one dancing in the living […]

Melissa

April 16, 2020

Uncategorized

blogging, coronavirus, COVID-19, divorce, encore, energy, extrovert, inspiration, introvert, life, lockdown, love, middle age, motherhood, muse, quarantine, raise them well, raising children, raising teenagers, raising teens, raising tweens, shelter in place, single dad, single mom, single mother, single motherhood, single parenting
Lock Down and Slow Down

I planned on journaling every day during our shelter in place, but that hasn’t happened. I also planned on cleaning out closets, handing each child a stack of great literature to read, and reading some myself…also has not happened. Like most things in life, my pandemic stage is not turning out as planned. I am […]

Melissa

March 29, 2020

Uncategorized

anxiety, children, Coronovirus, COVID-19, culture, encouragement, friendship, health, lockdown, love, motherhood, parenthood, parenting, peace, raise them well, raising children, raising teenagers, raising teens, raising tweens, relationships, relax, safety, school, shelter in place, single mom, single mother, single motherhood, single parenting, slow down, stress, support, worry, write, writing
The Exhaustion of Single Motherhood

I love to encourage moms. How can I not? Motherhood has been, still is, and always will be my passion. I sort of fell into it, and turns out it is the greatest gig in life. Today I want to encourage a special category of motherhood. It is another area I sort of fell into…single […]

Melissa

March 5, 2020

Uncategorized

changes, children, divorce, encore, exhaustion, family, inspiration, life, middle age, mom, mommy, mother, motherhood, parenthood, parenting, raise, raising children, raising teenagers, raising teens, relationships, single, single mom, single mother, single motherhood, single parenting
Facebook Friends

Sometimes life is hard…like really, really hard. For any of you reading this – I am proud of you. You have most likely been through something tough in your life by now, and you are still here. You are still trying. Some stages of life are like that. We just try our best, every day. […]

Melissa

March 2, 2020

Uncategorized

blog, blogging, caring, changes, extrovert, extroverted, facebook, feelings, friends, friendship, giving, helping others, insomnia, inspiration, instagram, loneliness, lonely, middle age, relationships, snapchat, social media, socialiazing, support, technology, thoughts, tough times, twitter, writing
Pacing The Floors and Learning To Streak

When trying to stalk your teenage son, to find out his whereabouts…you’ve got to be clever. You’ve got to think like a teenage boy, so he is not embarrassed by you. Here are some tactics I have found to work like a charm when my son is out and about with friends, and I am […]

Melissa

February 18, 2020

Uncategorized

blogging, changes, encouragement, family, feelings, home, humor, inspiration, life, memories, middle age, mom, moms, motherhood, parenthood, parenting, raise them well, raising children, raising teenagers, raising teens, raising tweens, relationships, single dad, single mom, single parenting, snapchat, texting, thoughts