Jen Writes

Words from the vault

• Welcome to the new digs

  So hello there. We've switched over to Wordpress, as you can see, and I'm still working on a LOT OF THINGS, so please bear with me. I am not a web designer so there's a humongous learning curve here. Some info: If you previously subscribed to our blog through an RSS feed, you will have to r

• Seven Pictures for my Seven Year Old

  I'm not prone to sadness about my kid growing up, but I'm getting a bit teary tonight. Typical of the first child, I pushed Jamis to walk, to talk, to the potty, and then off to school. And now I want to stop the clock. He's gotten too old. I could use a rewind. To turn back the time. To hold hi

• Reminder: I blog to stay balanced aka Introduction to the Family Series

  I think I might get a little mushy this morning. I'm not privy to mush and goo and all things cutesy and sweet; however, many of my posts thus far have hinted that I am not happy with my life, with my role as the mother of three, as the keeper of chaos. That is not the case at all and I need to remi

• I'll put it on the schedule

  It's taken me seven years of parenthood to see that I'm better when I'm busy. And I am. I love my kids more. More? Yes, More. I work full-time. Monday through Friday. I exhaust myself by showering and dressing and drying my hair. By choosing just how presentable I'm going to look at the

• My Brain is Like the Surface of My Desk

  OK people. I've been writing and writing and writing, and nothing is coming together. Maybe it's because every surface in my house looks like this:Or maybe it's because my sister and I are actually in the same house today, which means that there are SIX kids surrounding us. Which means: Revolving na

• Lasting Impressions

  I can't quite believe it is the final day here at Five for Ten. Excuse me if I run long today, my heart is full. Very full. My heart runneth over with worry and fear and joy and expression and memory on most days, but today it is filled with lasting amounts of honesty and love. Honest love. T

• Another post about how tired I am

  Sleep deprivation. Is seriously. Seriously. Difficult. And I'm supposed to FUNCTION as a reasonable human being. A parent. A MOTHER. But my kids. Won't. Let. Me. Sleep. My mom says this won't last forever. In fact, it will only be a FEW. MORE. YEARS. But, oh, how am I ever going to make it?

• A Few Clarifications About Our Half-Drunk Challenge and Some Ideas of How to Get Started

  1. You DO NOT have to have a blog to take part in the Half-Drunk Challenge. If you would like to write something specifically for us, we would be honored. Write write away, submit your essay/story to one of us via e-mail, and we will take it from there. (See those nice little e-mail buttons over the

• Ten things you may not know: The physical me

  I have only one ovary (and one fallopian tube) All of my other internal organs are in tact (as far as I know) My lips are not my own (but once they were) My heart has been broken (and is stronger for it) I have never broken a bone (but I have seen Sarah's arm in a cast) My skin is finicky and d

• No is a complete sentence

  I heard this in the car the other day. No is a complete sentence. Ahh, brilliant. So I don't have to say "No, you can't have that and these are the fifteen reasons why and why not" ? Oh, good. I'll have to remember this. It is so much easier to say no, and walk away. But the little people,