I have noticed lately that it’s not unusual for people to be living in their pasts. Thinking back to their glory days of high school. Or the independence of college. Their single days. The days when they had money (read: before children). There is a lot of this going on. And I’ve just (finally?) put it all together. I think it took me a while to realize this because, well, I don’t really have high school glory days. College was wonderful but not something I feel I need to revisit. I never really wanted to be single, so when I [...]
Read More in Jen Writes, motherhood, relationship, three kidsApril 2010
April 30, 2010
(On Not) Living in the Past
I’m cackling over here. I know, I know, it’s my family, so it’s a whole lot funnier to me (and Jen and Geege, I hope). But really? Let’s take a peek at some details. Like Jen’s vivacious skirt, worn with thick tights and sneakers. And how about GG? Those glasses are funkalicious. She’s one hot tamale. And those sandals? I think she wore that style for about 12 years–going through a few pairs until she finally moved on to…hmm. Mom? What did you move on to after those leather criss-cross thongy things? I’m just little and cute, so we can [...]
Read More in Sarah Writes, three kidsApril 28, 2010
Five for Ten Again: Rules and Regulations
We’ve been bombarded with enthusiasm (and a few questions) since we announced the return of Five for Ten last week. So let’s go over the details, shall we? Five for Ten will run from Monday, May 10 to Wednesday, May 19 Jen or I will post each day during the 10 days You, dear reader, are asked to visit Momalom each day and leave a comment We, in return, will visit your blog and leave you a comment OK, is it getting clearer? Pretty simple, right? We give you five minutes (well, more like 10 or 15) if you give [...]
Read More in Sarah Writes, three kidsApril 27, 2010
Dishing out the Five for Ten details
Has anyone noticed the recent influx of baby pictures? Man, I’m wistful for the early days. This is my first little guy, Jamis, back when every moment was cute. We lived in Florida. Life was simple. What the heck happened? And…can I ever get a glimpse of that again? Just for a day? *** We’ll be serving up some details on Five for Ten tomorrow! Please be sure to stop by. Grab the button code from our sidebar while you’re here, and plaster it on your site, in a post, or on your forehead. Whatever suits you. We are excited [...]
Read More in Sarah Writes, three kidsApril 26, 2010
What I Should Have Said
Yesterday at a gathering I was asked by an old friend and mom of one, “How do you do three?” “You just do it,” I said without hesitating. And this is very true. You just do it. I just do it. I mother my three children. I respond first to who needs me most. I multitask all the time. I answer to mom, mama, mommy. Sometimes all at once. I hold hands and answer questions and zip jackets. I keep track and count heads and get juice. I take trips to the potty and mop up spilled water. I just [...]
Read More in Jen Writes, motherhood, three kidsApril 24, 2010
Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday, GG!
A couple of generations ago a baby girl was born. Her parents named her Gail. She grew and grew and welcomed five brothers and sisters to her tribe. Eventually, her siblings dubbed her “sister-mother” and joked that her daughterly perfection was the reason for their very existence. Gail went off to college to study art. She sunbathed on rooftops and drank beer with her classmates. She met a red-haired boy in a college bar and fell in love. They wrote letters to one another and addressed them to various rooms in their apartment: “Dear Gail, in the kitchen, from John, [...]
Read More in GG, Sarah WritesApril 22, 2010
Happy Earth Day!
Not at all related to Earth Day, I’m posting over at Making the Moments Count today. Amber found us during our first foray into Five for Ten, way back in November, and she has the distinction of being the first person to send us a photo of herself wearing her hard-won Momalom T-shirt. Amber writes about her life as a mom of two young children. She writes with honesty and with–in her words–”no shenanigans,” which is why we like her so very much and feel such a connection with her. If you don’t know her–and even if you do–hop on [...]
Read More in Jen WritesApril 21, 2010
It’s going by too fast
Somebody slow it down. Please. It’s going by much too fast. My life. And theirs. Can we just slow it down? Stop it, even. *** To think, I couldn’t wait for this little boy to grow up. But now I’m done with growing. I want it to end. Because this boy face is too old now. This boy body too big. And his rhythm is now independent of me. His rhythm is all his own. It, and time, march on. While I wince at just trying to keep up. *** It’s going by too fast. It’s what everyone says. We [...]
Read More in Sarah Writes, three kidsApril 19, 2010
Five for Ten Again!
Yay! Five for Ten is coming back, baby! And this time, with a spin and a twist and a turn and…you get the point, right? So, are you new to Five for Ten? Well, back in November, 2009, Jen and I had this wild idea to commit to ten days of getting to know our readers a bit better. You can educate yourselves on the logistics of the whole affair here. And you can browse all the Five for Ten posts here. What you are really going to be most interested in–if you choose to browse the posts–is the comments [...]
Read More in Sarah WritesApril 17, 2010
17 Years Ago
Read More in history aka before kids, Jen Writes, three kids
April 16, 2010
A Lusty Little Biography – Yes
So, I’m going to take a shortcut and combine the last two posts. Because time and again Lust is what has brought me to Yes. Girls: Beware. Your mama is going to tell a few tales here. Might be TMI. So sure, I was a teenager and suffered the usual throes of uncontrolled craving. And sometimes these led me into situations I can’t remember without cringing. Like Tim, the super cool summertime boyfriend, who bought a used police car at a June auction, and discovered a secret button hidden on the driver’s side that could make the car accelerate 0 [...]
Read More in GG Writes, three kidsApril 16, 2010
Happy Birthday, Oh Matriarch of our Family
So very many of us wouldn’t be here without you. Your six children (and their spouses) Your more than a dozen grandchildren (and some of their spouses!) And nine great-grandchildren For now. We all have been touched by your wisdom, your grace and your strength. And we each have countless memories of moments shared with you, lessons learned, advice sought. And tomorrow, many of us will gather for a celebration in your honor. What a privilege for us all. To be in a room together, our eyes looking toward you in gratitude and admiration. All of us owing you more [...]
Read More in birthday, Jen Writes, three kidsApril 15, 2010
On being present and how it’s often the hardest thing to do not WHEN you’re a mother but BECAUSE of it
Just a thought (and then I’m sure Jen will post something a little more put-together later on): I sometimes wish there weren’t such an emphasis on being present. I feel an enormous amount of pressure to enjoy the moments with my kids. And so often I feel like it’s just impossible. Not because of me, but because of the management of life. It is gorgeous outside right now. The sun is shining its late-afternoon glow. The boys are alternating between snacking and drinking and bouncing on the trampoline. They wander in and out of the house looking for me, needing [...]
Read More in motherhood, Sarah WritesApril 15, 2010
What We Remember
Talk during a recent dinner with old friends: “So, I was at my high school reunion last year and, when everyone started telling old stories, all I could do was nod and go uh huh, uh huh, ‘cause I didn’t remember a thing.” “Well, I can’t remember my phone number from day to day. Too many numbers in my life.” “Yeah, me either. And how about all the times you run upstairs, only to forget what you’re going for, and have to go all the way back downstairs to remember?” “Or when you forget someone’s name? And they lived next [...]
Read More in GG Writes, three kidsApril 13, 2010
When your birthday is about way more than your birth day
The little lips that blew out my candles The little hands that dug into my cake Happy faces Yummy tummies And I know for certain that all I need is their love Their sweet and pudgy love wrapped around me always My birthday was a celebration for my kids and that’s exactly the way it should be now *************** Are you on Facebook? Show Momalom some love and become a fan!
Read More in Sarah WritesApril 13, 2010
My Happy Brain
I just got off the phone with Sarah, an excited Sarah, who can’t believe the response they are having to the latest iteration of 5 for 10. And I’m excited, too. And happy, so happy. And, I’m still thinking about the courage post, and how brave it is for all of you to tell the truth, to put it out into cyberspace for anyone to read – friend, foe, family or just the faceless, unknown reader. It is a courageous act to say, “What the hell. This is my life. These are my thoughts. This is important to me. And [...]
Read More in GG WritesApril 12, 2010
Happy Birthday, Shaggy! Shall We Plan a Camping Trip?
P.S. Geez, was I a TOTALLY lousy big sister? Not letting you in the tent? Geez. P.P.S. Or, wait, no. I remember. You were a pesky little sister, right? P.P.P.S. Good thing none of it matters now.
Read More in history aka before kids, Jen Writes, sisters, three kidsApril 11, 2010
Easily and Gracefully
I actually looked up the word supple in the dictionary. And I’m glad I did. Because here’s the definition, according to Merriam-Webster: bending and moving easily and gracefully Easily. And Gracefully. That’s the part that speaks to me when it comes to being emotionally supple. I want to bend easily and gracefully in the ways that I react to things. I want to be able to breathe and take in what is in front of me, whether an entire container of art beads strewn across the kitchen floor or a child dancing through the house singing a song in a [...]
Read More in Jen Writes, motherhood, three kidsApril 10, 2010
Courage
I am the eldest of six, raised in a family where a premium was placed on “being a Good Girl.” I learned that lesson well. Fast forward to my twenties. To marriage. To three children. To visits with in-laws so different than my own parents. Small-town and small-minded. So, here sits the Good Girl daughter-in-law at the dinner table in their small, overly decorated ranch house. Biting her tongue for the umpteenth time while the Father-in-Law spouts his hometown political views, views based almost completely on the particular situation of the guy down the street. Not global, not national–entirely local. [...]
Read More in GG WritesApril 10, 2010
I’m Not Good at Twitter
I gave it a try. But, well, let’s face it, Twitter and I are not meant to be friends. I was never one of the popular crowd. In high school I had a friend–a best friend–who was a cheerleader. But, well, I never hung out with the other cheerleaders. There was something unspoken and mutually understood about my place–or UNplace–in the social gatherings of the day. Also, for Twitter? I don’t have the time. Even if it does only require (less than) 140 characters. I mean, I know I write about this all the time, my lack of time. And [...]
Read More in Jen Writes, three kidsApril 9, 2010
This Is My Life? Peace and Quiet
E is napping. (Almost four hours so far!) B is at a friend’s house apres school. S is helping me clean, REALLY clean. It is quiet. And peaceful. And productive around here. Is this really my life? I am savoring it. I know there may be only minutes–or just seconds, even–left.
Read More in chores, home, housework, Jen Writes, motherhood, three kidsApril 9, 2010
What’s In My Bag
Miss Liz from But Then I Had Kids tagged me and Jen for the fun little meme that’s been going around. I was a bit ashamed to put up a picture of the old bag I had slung over my shoulder. It was a sad, sad thing. But Spring has sprung and my birthday is days away, so I treated myself to a cute new bag with matching wristlet. Goodbye brown suede bag! Our days are officially over. I will not pull you out of the closet for a “change of scenery.” You are no longer welcome in my world [...]
Read More in Sarah Writes, three kidsApril 8, 2010
Today, you can
Yesterday was hard. Hard hard hard. The kind of hard that is actually pretty simple, but you feel tested every second of the day anyway. Like someone is asking you if you can handle it. The mundane. Another nap time. Another meal time. Another cross-your-fingers-that-the-tv-works time. Ethan woke up at 1 am on Tuesday night — or is it Wednesday morning? — and never went back to sleep. So every little bitty thing about the day was hard just hard the exhaustion was real my heart was lost left in the bed where my sleep was robbed of me I [...]
Read More in Sarah Writes, three kidsApril 7, 2010
Top Tips: A Sampling
There are things we all wished we’d known before we had kids. Things we wish other mothers had told us about. Things beyond “Sleep when the baby sleeps.” Things like, sometimes squeezing in a shower is an accomplishment more satisfying than your greatest professional achievement. So, we’ve decided to offer up some tips of our own. A brief glimpse at the many things we’ve learned since becoming moms–in most cases since becoming moms of three. Here’s what we have for you this time, in no particular order at all: 1. Say Yes to your kids as often as you can. [...]
Read More in home, Jen Writes, motherhood, Sarah Writes, three kidsApril 6, 2010
Familiarity
I wish I could have written what Amanda wrote over the weekend. Her post on looking in the mirror reflects so much of what I’ve been feeling lately. I am so grateful to have found Amanda’s blog, with her gorgeously written posts about a life that is so familiar to me I feel as if I am looking in a mirror just taking in her words. And, after getting lost in her writing, I find myself asking If so many of us are feeling the same way Then why is it so often that we feel alone?
Read More in body image, home, Jen Writes, mind/body, motherhood, three kidsApril 5, 2010
A Heroic Quest
Required Reading >> There are few things you must know Yesterday I was feeling lost. Oh so very, very lost. I could not figure out what to do with myself. And so, with coffee cup in hand, I started perusing my bookshelves for words of meaning and purpose. A favorite of mine sat perched near the edge on its side, left there for easy access. I ruffled through and read several passages of The Parent’s Tao Te Ching, but came back time and time again to one, in particular. So I decided to share it here on the blog. Today [...]
Read More in Sarah Writes, three kidsApril 4, 2010
There are few things you must know
There are few things you must know to become a wise parent. You must know that you are going to die, for then you will be able to truly live. You must know when you have enough, for then you will be content. You must know how to laugh, for then you will find healing. There are many things you need not know. You need not know everything your children think or do. You need not know their secret dreams and hopes. You need not know how life will unfold for them, or for yourself. ** Live your own life, [...]
Read More in Sarah WritesApril 1, 2010
Test Post
April 1, 2010
If you were a bumper sticker, what would you say?
I’m not a bumper sticker kind of girl. And it’s actually kind of troubling. I know. Bumper Stickers. Silly, really. Stop looking into things so deeply, you say? Yeah, bad habit. It’s okay, I’m used to it. And besides, it doesn’t always turn out so bad. Yesterday I drove Jamis down a suburban, tree-lined street on the way home from school. Runners on either side of us, bicycles whizzing by. A grey Honda Odyssey was ahead of us with 26.2 wrapped in an oval and stuck to the rear. It was the only sticker on the body of the vehicle. [...]
Read More in Sarah Writes