relationships – Aprons, Heels, and Yoga Pants

Be Careful

My morning started with a bang, literally, as the garage door hit the front of my car on its way down. My son was in the driver’s seat and all I could muster out of my very sleepy mouth was, “Careful!” In his defense…careful of what? The poor guy probably felt helpless trying to assess…

The Sweetest Things

It has been a rough week. As much as I fight it and try to make life perfect, I have to accept the good with the bad. I am going through some tough lessons, and I’d really like to stomp my feet like a child and refuse to listen. But lo and behold…I am a…

I just Want To Clean The Toilet

Every once in a while I get an entire day at home. When this rare occasion happens, I can’t contain my excitement as I think…..”I get to clean the house!” I just didn’t see this strange love of domestication phase coming. I’ll never forget a day in counseling many years ago, (nothing big – just working out…

Adoption and What It Taught Me

Lil Beans is 17 now. That is what I call her, and her birthday was yesterday. Well, we will never know her real birthday. October 1st is the birthday given to all abandoned children in China, as that day is a national holiday, commemorating the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Lily is my adopted…

Let’s Talk

I. Am. Tired. It isn’t from lack of sleep, or the one million loads of laundry I just completed. It is from love. The love I dispense on a daily basis is beautiful and exhausting. Each day as I sit to write, my heart tells me who to encourage. I have some unusual categories in…

Afraid of The Ball

I have been sitting at my desk for an hour now. I sat down to write. I even repeated the mantra in my head this morning….”writing first, writing first, writing first.” Unfortunately, catching up on text messages and rearranging my calendar for everyone came first. I do not know how to be selfish, but I…

Awkward Partners

I need to be careful to not focus on only one age group of my children when writing. However…..sometimes there are stages in life with each child, which lead to constant comedic entertainment for their mother. That stage currently falls on my 15 and 16 year olds, Lily and Luke. Not a surprise since 13-…

Winter Butt

I want to eat healthy. I really do. But right now, as I sit here writing, I want a snack. Being the great mom I am, I made these yummy things, because I love the squeals of joy when the kids walk in after school. Being the stupid mom I am, I thought I could…

Waking Up

Trust me – there are benefits to midlife. First of all it’s an awakening, not a crisis. Granted, much to the dismay of others, we sometimes awaken to the fact that we need a corvette ASAP. We awaken to the reality that we have put all of our hopes and dreams on hold. Maybe much worse, we…

Keep Fighting

I recently enjoyed a telephone conversation with a dear old friend, whom I haven’t seen in years. Amazing, isn’t it, how years apart won’t change that bond? We covered the topics of raising adult children, and our more relaxed state with our younger ones, who came along later in life. We discussed midlife goals,…