Running On Empty...No More

This is the craziest time of year for mom's; well dad's too, I suppose. But every day it's a rat race for me between work, dinner, homework, and taxi-cab-driving. I do not stop all day and have very little time for myself. I'm not complaining, either, I signed up for this. Because of this crazy schedule, I revel in the idea of food shopping and running errands without the kiddos, so this morning after all three went off to school, I thought I'd run to WalMart and the butcher shop before I started work. WalMart is my least favorite place to shop, but it's in the same shopping center as the butcher shop. Convenience wins every time. After waiting a ridiculously long time in line, I loaded up my car and drove away. At least, I tried to drive away. While waiting at a Stop sign to leave one of the parking aisles, a red car came around the corner with the clear intent to turn down my aisle. Unfortunately, she was driving on the wrong side of the road and cut me of

There are times when parenting is exhilarating and I feel a fullness that I cannot put into words. Those times have always involved a personal triumph that I was fortunate to either witness or participate in and usually require a lot of effort along the way. All three of my children have recently experienced such triumphs and I feel the need to write about each one so that I can preserve the joy for the rainy days ahead, when I undoubtedly will experience some parenting lows. This one is about my oldest son. Nathaniel has had an ongoing struggle with school and does not know where he currently fits in academically or will eventually fit in the world. This is probably typical of many sixteen-year-olds, but he's my first, so I have nothing to compare him with. He does not like to study, attend class, or play sports. He marches to the drum of his own beat. He is unique. While at times I love this about him because he can be entertaining, it has also presented parental challenges.

Hallmark has us convinced that we should have a perfect day to celebrate mom; and while mom's do deserve recognition and honor for the work that is done, I am equally convinced that there is no such perfect day. Our expectations have become unrealistic. Thank you Hallmark. This year, for "Mother's Day", I set out to church to play some music as usual. It was lovely. There was a brief recognition with flowers the kids brought for mom and the traditional hymns to go along with them. Of course, my kids forgot the flowers, but they still joined in the celebration after borrowing some buds from kids who did remember. Following church, my husband informed me that he'd made reservations at a restaurant for brunch with him and the kids. We had to pick up one of the kids from a scouting weekend, where he white-water rafted and slept in a tent for two nights. The plan was to head right to the brunch after picking him up. I'm guessing every mom reading this has the sam

You would never know that it's springtime in Cochranville. Snow flurries continue to swirl and my skin feels raw in the wind. I hear that Groundhog Phil is being indicted, accused of lying as winter marches on. I keep looking where my daffodils and tulips are supposed to be, wishing I could force them to bloom. If only it worked that way. My daughter, Gracie, speaks her mind freely and does not hide her emotions. She is sensitive to those around her and will be the first person to make friends with a lonely one in the corner. She loves to dance and be on stage. She draws colorful pictures with heartfelt messages to her family. She craves affection and makes no bones about telling you when she hasn't had enough. Her laugh is infectious and people are drawn to her personality. But she has one area of her life that causes her great concern: she's just not as good in school as she would like to be. She is not stupid, by any means. She understands a lot for a 3rd grader. She

Last week was a really long one. By Friday, I had been to three different doctors for two of my children, plus to my dentist twice for a veneer that just won't stay put. It's been that kind of winter. So by Monday morning, when my computer ceased working, I was not pleased at all. I could not afford any more unscheduled events in my crazy-busy week, and was gearing up for another very long and frustrating day. Since I work from home, there is no "IT" department, there is no one but me who can fix a problem should I have one. So I set out to the Apple store in hopes to find a new battery. Simple fix, I thought, since all indications were that I had a faulty one. This shouldn't take long at all. First stop: Springhouse Media in Exton, PA. After diagnosing that it was indeed the battery, I was told that it would be three full days before I would have a new one installed and that I could just leave my laptop until then. Um, I can't do that, I said, but I wi

When I was growing up, I don't remember being sick often. I had chicken pox, like all other kids, and I had an occasional cold. But when I was sick, the greatest comfort was - and still is - my pillow, my bed, and a bowl of homemade chicken soup. Clearly, I have passed this tradition on to my kids. And I mean literally; they want MY bed, MY pillow and the first thing they ask for when they're not feeling well is homemade chicken soup. I tried canned soup on Gracie recently and she said, "I'm not putting that stuff anywhere near my mouth." Yes, I've spoiled them all! This same child has been glued to my hips since my surgery in the fall. Spending so much time away from her had a big impact on her, and she's still trying to make up for it. Mama this, and mama that all day long. She needs me for everything . She needs the normal things, like listening to her read, sharing every detail of her day, sharing the mood of her teacher and how it either made or rui

Five-hundred years ago, bully meant friend, family member, or sweetheart. The root of the word comes from the Dutch "boel", meaning lover or brother. Today, bully represents a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate another person. So what the heck happened?? As a child, I had to deal with bullying just like every other kid I knew, but not to the extent today's kids have to deal with it. I had two bullies to deal with - neither of which I'd like to remember (but alas, remember well!) and neither of which are active members of my inner circle now. Today, the internet and cell phone texting makes it very easy for bullies to reach the masses and cause some much more serious damage. Our ability to communicate rapidly and effectively is causing a lot of harm with today's youth. The media reports suicide and murders resulting from bullying on a fairly regular basis. It's not just media hype, either. I've witnessed the devastation as a mother o