Parenting

To throw a party or not to throw a party, that is the question. And I have the answer – nope. Don’t do it. Skip it. They won’t remember it. If I could redo my entire parenting life over again, I’d skip the big, expensive, ridiculous, over-the-top early birthday parties in favor of cake and […] More

Barbies and trucks and dolls and hide and seek and Candy Land and Go Fish are just a few of my least favorite activities. They’re actually right up there with my fear of heights and my annual gynecological exam. Of course, my kids love these games; and they’re the reason I dislike them so. Why, […] More

With four kids, I’m so far past the annoying questions, thoughtless statements and very personal comments that people make when a couple has only one child. I’ve got a whole new set of inappropriate comments, questions and statements to respond to on a daily basis (yes, we know how this happens; no, we didn’t plan […] More

During a recent trip to a gorgeous lake in the middle of the northern Tennessee mountains, I stood for almost half an hour on top of a 20-foot bridge, tears in my eyes, scared to death to jump off into the 200-foot lake. Everyone else had already done it, including several of my nieces and […] More

Just a few weeks ago my 4-year-old demanded (as opposed to asking) ice cream for lunch. Because the kid detests sweets, I knew what she really wanted was a bowl of ice cream she could stir – it’s her favorite. But I can’t give her that even though she’s not going to eat it, because […] More

There is a certain type of torture and pain that only those who have kids that share a room will understand. Thank goodness for me, this is something from the past. When my husband and I were just a few months shy of welcoming our twins into our family, we moved our then almost 3-year-old […] More

I’m going to start this off by saying that I’ve never hit my kids, and I have no intention of ever hitting my kids. I’m not of the belief that violence is the answer, and I will not do it. This is something that drives my mother absolutely insane, as she is a teacher and […] More

The coolest thing and the most frustrating thing about toddlers is that they do what they want. I know some parents are about to stick their noses up and think, “Not my toddler. I’m the mother, I make the rules,” when we all know this is only half true. You do make the rules, and […] More

There’s a moment in every parent’s life in which you realize that this is it; you no longer have a newborn baby anymore. For some of us, it’s all right. We hope to have more children at some point and we know that we’ll get these moments back for just a fleeting second. For others, […] More

I’m probably not the right person to discuss this, considering I’m a Victoria’s Secret bikini-obsessed mother of four. My body might not be perfect after having four kids, but it’s pretty great thanks to a healthy diet and yoga – and chasing four kids around – so I feel that while I’ve still got it, […] More

I stare obsessively at the photos posted by a woman on Instagram who has the most amazingly stylish and sophisticated home. It’s all white. It reminds me of my house with the layout, the windows and the design, but her house is all white. White cabinets, counters, floors, walls; everything is all white. It’s bright […] More

I love a clean car. Love it. Actually, that’s not even the right terminology. I am obsessed with a clean car. That’s why having four kids is kind of a pain in the rear end for me. Four kids + my awesome SUV = pretty big mess. Kids are the reason you will find me […] More