Charonne
How to Survive a Family Roadtrip
Taking a vacation is no small feat for my family of seven. Between finding a location and activities to please our wide age span of children, to packing and coordinating this whole thing, taking a...
Trauma Will Not Defeat My Child
When I was a child I dreamed of Motherhood. I never had great career aspirations or globetrotting dreams; I simply wanted to settle down and build a life and a family. I pictured what it would...
Saying Goodbye to My Bonus Sister
One of my sister-in-law's recently expressed the sister-in-law relationship like this: You’re not related by blood but suddenly you’re in it together to survive the crazy- And that’s what we’ve done together! I've "survived the crazy"...
I Will Always Fight For Other Women’s Right to Parent
Nine years ago my family and I jumped into foster care, completely ignorant to the reality of the children, the parents connected to them, and the complexities of those relationships.
I viewed myself as a hero...
I Don’t Know When I Stopped Enjoying My Kids
As a Momma of five energy-filled, sports-committed, often anxiety-ridden kids, I can tell you that nothing about our life is quiet, slow, or calm. I don't give much thought to enjoying my kids. Instead, I...
When Your Mom Friends Move Away
Let's talk about mom friends for a minute.
Not only does it become 1,000 times more difficult to make friends as an adult, finding that group of mom friends you fit in with is immensely...
Youth Sports:: We Have Been Drawn in and I Am THAT Sports Mom
I didn't grow up playing sports and don't consider myself to have much athletic ability at all, so I have very little experience with youth sports. When my oldest kids were young and their...
To My Son As You Begin High School
Wasn't it just yesterday that I took SIX positive pregnancy tests and said to your Dad, "I THINK I'm pregnant?" The shock of you entering our world quickly turned into an all-consuming, do-anything-for, life-changing kind of love. The...
This is Not What I Thought My Life Would Be
As I sit here writing this post, I am a stay-at-home mom, running a small non-profit in my non-existent spare time, caring for six children, spending most of my time as a would-be taxi service driving...
Celebrating Our Kid’s Adoption Anniversaires
Last week my son woke up beaming, "it's my special day, it's my adoption anniversary!" As he entered the kitchen I had our "you are special today" plate ready with his breakfast and placed it...