Tag Archives: kids

I Ruined My Child’s Life Over a Tortilla

I’m part of an online mom’s group where we share parenting struggles. We all have 4-year-olds and there’s a trend emerging among our kids lately. They are saying things like: “You are the worst mommy ever!”, “I hate you mommy!” and “I wish Jessica was my mommy and not you”. Thanks for being so awesome, Jessica.

It’s both hilarious and heartbreaking considering all that a parent does for their kid only to get verbally slapped in the face. Continue reading

mom thoughts, the thought record of a mom for 1 hour as she tries to decide on a preschool

A Thought Record of a Mom for 1 Hour Trying to Decide on a Preschool

An attempt to record my words and thoughts for about an hour on a normal Wednesday morning.

“No you can’t eat that cereal when you’re sick it has too much sugar”. What should I do with the kids today, should I take them to that new soccer thing? But it’s kind of expensive. But I think it could be really good for my daughter to learn some soccer skills when she’s young because what she learns now will be so much more natural later. But will she even like soccer? I don’t think she likes it. Continue reading

stay at home dad, dad stays home, working mom, dads at the park

What it’s like to be a Stay at Home Dad

Being a stay at home mom, I know that there are many other moms in the same place with whom I can find camaraderie. That wouldn’t necessarily be the case for a stay at home dad. It is becoming more common for dads to stay home, but it is still counter cultural and with that I suspect come unique challenges. I reached out to one of the stay at home dads I know and asked If he could write about his experience. Here are his thoughts: Continue reading

mother of drool, motherhood, parenting tips, mom hacks, how to raise a child, baby tips, how to give a baby a bath

Tips and Tricks for Babies Part 1

All parents learn tricks to survive the years when their children are little… and it takes awhile to get to a place where you don’t feel like you’re in panic mode every second. Or is it that you just get used to panic mode? Regardless, tricks, and not the magic kind, do help. Continue reading

should I have more children? how do I know when to have more children? Should I have more kids? how many kids should I have? what's the best number of kids to have?

To have More Children or to Not have More Children

When in the ‘window” of opportunity for having children, there is an underlying pressure to know if we’re done or if we should plan for one more. Keep the baby clothes or give them away? Put the crib in storage or Craigslist it? Continue reading

Which is the best sippy cup? what is the best sippy cup? straw cups spout cups, leek proof, speech delays, speech problems

Which Sippy Cup Should I Use?

The sippy cup wars rage in my home.

I have purchased SO. MANY. SIPPY. CUPS. and most of them are terrible.

Let me first outline the classic list of problems, so you know what to avoid.

1. Speech Pathologists say that sippy cups can Continue reading

Family hike, hike with daddy, hike with mom, pasadena hikes, LA hikes, los angeles hikes

Josephine Fire Road to Josephine Peak- Stroller Friendly Hike!

Hike Length: 6 miles round trip; 1900′ elevation gain

Classification: Moderate

San Gabriel Valley hike

This memorial day, we took our one and three-year old on a hike about 30 minutes outside of Pasadena, CA off the Angeles Crest Highway.  The route was the Josephine Fire Road to Josephine Peak. We packed PBJ’s with snacks and loaded up the stroller. By the time we finally start driving my husband and I are exhausted from getting everyone and everything out the door and into the car that I wondered if it was worth it.

Continue reading

Kids, toddlers, parenting

A Date without Your Spouse

“Make time to go on dates with your spouse after you have kids” is common advice from weathered parents.  I’ll admit, it’s easier said than done, but worthy advice nonetheless.  Today, however, I accidentally discovered how important it is go on a date with my two-year-old.

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What do Stay at Home Moms do all Day?

what do stay at home moms do

I used to wonder “what do stay-at-home moms do all day?” I assumed they watched cartoons, talked on the phone, and did whatever they wanted while the kids played. Part of the reason it is so hard to know what a stay-at-home parent does is because every time someone asks this question the response is so full of small things that she doesn’t know how to answer it.  Because she is CONSTANTLY Continue reading

Mesmerized by You

mountain railway

Our family of four attended a birthday party at the lone restaurant on the top of Mt. Baldy a couple of weeks ago.  Riding a rickety old ski lift was the only way to get up the mountain.  My husband wore our two-year old in one carrier, and I wore our 6 month old in another.  They made us ride separately because you can only have two “people” per lift.  Since when did a 15 lb person count?  Just kidding.

So the party was crazy with two tiny people to keep track of in the midst of many full-sized people.  We did a little dance, sang a little song, and it was time to ride down the mountain in the dark.  Now, I live in a city where I often get honked at because I forget to turn my headlights on at night.  There are so many lights all around me that I don’t even notice.  But Mt. Baldy is in the wild wilderness compared to my home.

So here I am, isolated by darkness… riding on this rickety ski lift. Continue reading