What does maternal exhaustion mean? Well, I knew that I needed to face this topic for the last six months. Instead of writing, maternal exhaustion has been where I’ve lived.…
Hello there and greetings to all who read this article. I hope and pray that everyone is doing well. That is indeed my hope for you. This article was going…
Attending annual IEP meetings can be difficult. With these tips for preparing for year end IEP meetings you will be ready to advocate for your child. Having IEP (individual education…
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it is about learning to dance in the rain." Viviane Greene Today on April 2nd, 2021 World Autism Awareness Day,…
Our dog died and I had no idea I’d feel so sad. I knew my kids would be sad to lose our pet, but I really didn’t expect to be.…
Two of my husband's children are acting like a**holes. Sure, they're my kids too and right now I am shifting parental ownership to their father. I am sick of the…
A long time ago I told my girls, "I'm definitely not perfect so I am definitely going to screw up at being a mom sometimes! All that I ask is…
Something happened this year at school with my daughter that got me thinking about respect among women and girls. The simple concept of respect is the admiration for someone’s abilities,…
Not long ago, we stuck a for sale sign in our front yard, packed up the contents of our home for the last seven years, and decided to live away…
I was 20 when I lost my first pregnancy. I felt betrayed by my body, but at that point in my life, betrayal was all I knew towards her. My…
For women with a known chance of a high-risk pregnancy, finding out you’re expecting can be a terrifying experience. I am one of those women. It's difficult to share such…
I have been a divorced single mom now for 18 years. My three daughters are adults now. My former husband and father to my children lives out of state. Basically,…
The Blessing of Bonus Littles I’ve been blessed to be the auntie of two of the most loving, creative, kind, and unique kiddos (sure, I’m a little biased). My niece…
Warning: traumatic birth story detailed below. Please read on with caution as the material or descriptions may be triggering. Every January, as his birthday draws near, I have a tightness…
I was 26 years old when I birthed my daughter, the final child we were to have...the icing on our cake. She was, like her older brothers, a joy to…
The universe gifted me a special needs son. He has a presence about him and is a bright light on my darkest days. The days I have lost all hope,…
A couple weeks ago I was out shopping with my daughter. We saw this awesome shirt (pictured) in the store Zumiez. I posted it on my story on both my…
“There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” – Jill Churchill I am a proud mother of three beautiful young ladies. Having all girls,…
The teen years with your children are typically a challenge, throw in a child with autism adding in further challenges. Today I am sharing some thoughts on helping your autistic…
Do you find it difficult and are hesitant to ask for and accept help when you are in need? Why do some of us hesitate when it comes to asking…
How to educate has entered pretty much every parent’s home this year in a new way. As I write this I am embracing our third month of facilitating online kindergarten…
I believe that it is important to continually educate ourselves on the prevalence of racism that plagues our society. Recent events have created a new awareness surrounding the treatment of…
What do you think of when I say the word balance? Do you picture the perfect system or a schedule that FINALLY makes motherhood feel balanced? What we experience in…
Music. Just the word brings me joy and lightens my mood. What about for you? When the World Seems Heavy... I'm thinking sometimes we need something light, something just simple…
I am tired. There, I said it. It’s not like me to publicly admit such a thing. I am strong and independent and I do my best to soldier on…
Being a caregiver can be very challenging and sometimes difficult to overcome but it can be done. On January 31, 2017, the rest of mine and my mother's lives changed…
As parents we want to do everything we can to help our children grow and these tips for nurturing your special needs child's self esteem plays a huge role in…
It is 3:42 in the morning and I can feel her warrior heart beating against mine. I am exhausted and my body aches. It’s been less than 24 hours since…
As a new school year is quickly approaching it is time to start preparing yourself and your special needs child for the school year Every new school year begins with…
In one week we will move my only child into her college freshman dorm room. We will unpack, joke, arrange, laugh, bicker and organize. We will make sure she is…
Parents are in an impossible situation when it comes to deciding what their children should do for school this year. There truly is no good answer. But we all have…
When I was in college I got pregnant with my daughter. I gave birth to her at the beginning of my senior year of undergrad. From that moment on my…
One of the biggest obstacles my clients face is what to do when they send their little ones to daycare. They are often found wondering how they are going to…
I have a dirty little secret. Actually, for those who know me well, it’s no secret at all. I am a procrastinator. On the surface, I seem to be a…
"A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might…
The memories that get lost in the hustle and bustle of life. I can feel them slipping away. The tiny, every day moments that make being a mom, a wife,…
I do have to brag that my kiddos have been great sleepers from a very young age! But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have setbacks and tired nights here and…
Early in the lock-down, I realized that I had no area in my house to "take" my yoga class. Work was from home, college was from home, high school was…
Having recently spent a week in the hospital with my daughter, I started thinking about a parent's unending love and support. Even now, as a grown woman and parent myself. …
“When you parent, it’s critical you realize you aren’t raising a “mini me,” but a spirit throbbing with its own signature. For this reason, it’s important to separate who you…
I stood there waiting for the airport terminal train, breathing slowly in and out, squeezing my legs together so tightly my muscles were shaking. I was trying to hold back…
Now that you have an Autism diagnosis it is important to begin creating your support system by educating your family so that they can better understand and help support you…
Raising kids is a high-stakes responsibility and in this age of social media and easy access to information about anything and everything, parents are easily overwhelmed with feelings of guilt…
One mom’s two cents to get you through those last few tumultuous adult teen years. Parenting is hard. Parenting adult teens is hella hardest. And those last few years will…
We all, at some point in our lives, have fallen down physically or mentally, ranging from childhood to adulthood. We've collected a treasure chest full of scars from a few…
I curled up under a blanket on the carpeted floor of our master bedroom closet. Pulling the pillow over my head, I squeezed my eyes shut and turned on the…
I was fourteen years old as I stepped off the school bus. Tears were streaming down my cheeks. I had just experienced deep rejection. Behind me, the voices of former…
Ahh, sleep deprivation. A sleepless state of existence that is near and not-so-dear to my heart. As a matter of fact, I don’t know that I’ve met many individuals who…
All the little moments that get lost when you are busy running the race to achievement. It's within these moments where belonging waits to be found.
My mom says lots of things. Let me clarify. My mom has a big mouth. Okay, wait, that’s not what I’m going for either. My mom tells me when she’s…
Let’s talk about how to keep your marriage thriving, and some tips for special needs parents. Let's face it, having a good marriage does not come easily. Add to that…
Do 24 hours a day seem not enough to handle it all? You aren't alone. Balancing family and business while maintaining a sense of self is challenging. Add in social…
In a New Year’s quest to declutter, my husband and I decided to sell our piano that had been sitting in our house collecting dust for more than a decade.…
Parent of a Tween Girl! I’ve recently entered a new phase in mum-life. Becoming the parent of my very own tween daughter! Of course I’ve been there once upon a…
“One day you’ll tell your story of how you’ve overcome what you’re going through now and it will become part of someone else’s survival guide.” -Unknown This quote resonated with…
Before I was a mom, I knew that mommy guilt was a thing. I knew to be careful if I experienced this. One thing I didn’t expect was to give…
There is an old proverb that mentions the idea of you reap what you sow. If you've ever heard this growing up, how did you decern it? When I heard,…
The quieter you become, the more you can hear.Ram Dass Losing My Voice; Literally Last week, I lost my voice. And I mean that in the literal sense. I went…
Love and kindness go together. They really do. In my 20 years as a counselor, I've been astounded at how many people say and do the most unkind things in…
Our children are miracles. They make us proud, frustrate and challenge us and they teach us a lot about ourselves. However, they are not ours to keep. We don't own…
What is it about you having a lousy night’s sleep that makes everyone else seem so awful? Sleep deprivation is no joke when it comes to having children and the…
There’s nothing quite like one’s first-ever blog post to serve up a big helping of vulnerability, is there? But really, the craving to be more vulnerable is largely what nudged…
The reality is, Postpartum Depression is a very real thing. According to the CDC, 1 in 9 women experience symptoms of Postpartum Depression. And there is nothing wrong with having…
It is the most magical time of the year and notably the most stressful for many. If you are raising an autistic child then you have some added stress that…
When our daughter was little we started doing all the things to get her to sleep and it wasn't working. That is when we decided to teach our daughter independent sleep skills.
If you know me, you know I really love a good, sappy Hallmark movie, especially a Christmas one. During the holiday season there's little I enjoy more than snuggling up…
I wrestle with the best way to make Christmas magical while not going overboard. Every year I struggle: To give or not to give.
The power of words in our life is something that is so underrated that we trip and fall over it! We don’t recognize this power and neither do we teach it…
This month my husband and I are celebrating 23 years of being together. You’d think that after 23 years of doing something we’d be experts by now, but—we are not.…
Dear Mama, I see you. Talking with your mama friends about your kiddos starting school this year. Them telling you how much they cried and didn’t know what to do…
Many of us are caring for our parents as they get to an age where their health begins to fail or they are diagnosed with a chronic illness. In addition…
People often ask me how I “do it all” or how I “keep it all together," and I’m just going to be honest from the start and tell you my…
We are coming up on five years since having a baby at twenty-three weeks gestation. Every year, my processing takes off another layer from the pain of that situation. My…
It’s summer! Does that mean it’s time for lots of fun in the sun or time to find a million ways to entertain your kids who are bouncing off the…
No doubt, traveling with young children can be stressful and even overwhelming. However, over the last few times we have traveled, I have found a few tips that truly helped…
The same day I chose this blog topic, I received a “heads up” that my husband’s name was at the top of a list for a deployment next year. He…
Mom life is laundry life, right? For the seven years I’ve been a mom, I have had a constant pile of laundry that needs to be washed, folded and put…
Words Are Powerful He was hurting! It all began years before. He was too young to connect the dots of what was happening. It was just life. He didn’t know any…
May is always a busy month. Add to the mix a child in high school and May is just crazy. Make that child a senior and the month is insane.…
On one hand I’m the helicopter mom, full of anxiety that something horrible will happen to my children. On the other hand, I encourage my daughter’s to travel the world and…
As the weather warms up, windows are flung open to allow that fresh air to flow throughout the house. For me, I start to look at my house, and notice…
Teenagers! For me, it's an experience beyond anything I could have ever imagined summed up into one word. I have a rebellious teenager that likes to push boundaries. If something…
I've made a list of my ten confessions as a boy mom, but I think it is important to note that I grew up in a family of all boys,…
Hello! It started innocently enough. We were two 19-year-old college freshman, and we only had eyes for each other. And, we had it badly. We could talk for hours about…
At the end of March, my husband and I took our kids on a two-day getaway to Legoland. The park is only about 40 minutes from our home, so this…
This one shift has helped me love those around me better. I am able to accept the humanity of those around me and allow that they are doing their best.
Instead of purchasing a card off the shelf, I felt like I could best honor her by writing a love note. A list of memories or things that came to…
Spring is now in full swing, and summer time is knocking at the door. Soon the doors of school will fly open - and a flood of children will pour…
My dad was an Air Force colonel, a fighter pilot and a Vietnam veteran. In addition to being a proud (and dutiful) daughter, my upbringing in a military household shaped…
My son was practically born with a basketball in his hand. Before he could even walk he was gripping the baby sized basketballs and dunking into trashcans (he may have…
SACRIFICE is not just a dirty word. Or is it? What does this word conjure up for you? Perhaps its sadness or heartbreak. Maybe it brings with it, a sense…
The glimmer of sweet, sweet coins Nothing makes me happier during a run or a walk than catching a small glimmer in the street. A small glimmer that is of…
In 2012 I began my self-care journey and it changed my life in ways I'd never imagined. Sharing this story has become part of my mission because every time I…
My dad was in the military and left early every day for work. When I woke up I would go to the kitchen and find something to eat. Then I…
Nearly two years ago, I took the biggest trip of a lifetime. I flew to Bolivia in search for my brother who was left abandoned and homeless in the streets…
As long as I can remember I had always heard the stories you will never be the same after becoming a mother. I would always nod in approval and give…
Most of us are not prepared when we get the news - a friend or family member has had a baby, and there have been complications. We go through life…
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