Search Results for: blog ive never been away from my kids for ten days

Bonding With the In-Laws: The Youngest Sibling

One of the weirdest things about marrying into a large family was that I’ve been around for almost the entire life of my littlest brother-in-law.  When Jon and I first started dating, and I met the family for the first time, his youngest brother was only a bit over a year old.  While he knows most of Jon’s other siblings very well, because they all lived at home with him for years (and some still do), Jon wasn’t around much when he was growing up.  So Jon, his own brother, isn’t really that much more of a presence in his … Continue reading →

Cold, Cold Go Away!

I’m getting that dreaded winter cold that’s going around. Inevitably this always seems to come the week before finals. Why this is happening? I don’t really know. The only conclusion I have been able to come up with is that the universe is combining against me to make finals week as miserable as possible! In all seriousness though, having a cold while trying to take care of a four year old on your own is a pretty tough job in and of itself, with or without finals. Poor Logan has been suffering from the same cold for several weeks now. … Continue reading →

Be Thankful for Your Blessings

Until we became a military family, I never quite understood the sacrifice that they paid. I knew it in theory but now it has become so much more real. We are giving up the presence of our son at the Thanksgiving table this year. It is hard for everyone to accept the first of what will likely be many holidays without him. It has given me such a greater appreciation for their service to our country and the families who are without their loved ones. Suddenly thankfulness has taken on a whole new meaning. While I have always appreciated my … Continue reading →

Birthday Parties and Holidays

Tonight Logan and I went to one of his friend’s birthday parties at Jungle Jim’s here in Utah. This little boy’s mother and I have been friends for several years and have watched each other go through the many struggles of single parenting. However, tonight I watched as her and her ex put aside all their differences so that they could both be there to celebrate their little one’s birthday. They stood beside each other as they took their son around to each of the different rides and laughed and joked with each other about how cute the kids were … Continue reading →

Getting Road Trip Ready

I just realized today that in just a couple of weeks, my husband, the boys, my parents, and I are going to embark on the biggest adventure that we as a family have ever had. In the past, I have pretty much been a seat of the pants type of girl when it comes to travel. I am not sure if that is such a wise approach to take on a road trip from Vermont to Florida that involves four adults and two kids, so I am beginning to do a little bit of planning. There once was a time … Continue reading →

The Trouble with Toys

(If I step on these one more time I’m going to…) Actually, it’s not the toys I have trouble with; it’s the child owner who repeatedly neglects to pick-up said playthings despite various forms of yelling, nagging and threatening. Sound familiar? Then, you too can likely relate to that Febreze commercial where the mom places all of her kids’ stuffed animals in the toy box only to find them strewn back on the floor the instant she turns around. How many times have you seen that ad and thought, “That’s so my life”? Not the possessed toy part; rather, the … Continue reading →

Cleaning Out the Car

You know that things are bad in your car when a ten-year-old complains that it is gross. We have had a couple of strange weeks, so my normal policy of having everyone grab at least three things that don’t belong each time they leave the car just wasn’t working. I hit the last straw yesterday when two things occurred: my daughter pulled out an old and yellowed cheese stick from behind a seat, and the carpooling kids didn’t want to put on their seat belts because they were afraid of all of the crumbs. “They are huge crumbs. It isn’t … Continue reading →

Be an Engaged Parent

Let’s face it, it’s the 21st century and technology has taken over our lives. You want to lose weight? There’s an app for that. You want to learn how to cook? Don’t worry there’s an app for that. You’re ready to get back into the dating world? Never fear, there’s an app for that too. You can find just about anything you need to know online and many of us spend our days doing just that. Have you checked your email today? How about Facebook? How many texts have you sent? How many calls have you made? Needless to say, … Continue reading →

Post-Easter Sugar High… and Low

Classes may be out for spring break, but my second grader got schooled big time on Easter Sunday. Thanks to the extreme generosity of parents, grandparents, neighbors and the Easter Bunny, my daughter received not one, not two, not three, but six different chocolate rabbits. While her haul could have been the basis of many lessons, including self-control, charity, gratitude, and the dangers of excessive sugar consumption, she instead spent Easter learning the difference between “solid” and “hollow.” As in, just because you receive a two-foot tall chocolate bunny dressed in a top hat, blue bow tie, and a cummerbund … Continue reading →

Chill Out When The Crying Won’t Stop

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It seems my baby blogs have had an underlying theme lately. Crying. But, it’s a part of our lives right now with an almost 4-month-old who seems to want control. Last night and today have been stressful. I’m sick, which doesn’t help matters, and little sweet baby boy decided he didn’t want to sleep last night. So, I thought today, I would surely get in some breaks while he napped, but so far, the crying and fussiness abound, and it’s been easy to get frustrated. But, it’s important that you don’t lose your cool when you have a baby that … Continue reading →