Homework is the assignment of a purposeful task that reinforces concepts that are covered during the school day.  Accordingly, homework should not introduce new information to the learner.  On the contrary, homework should be utilized as a tool to communicate the student’s current level of mastery to the learner, caregiver and teacher.

Let’s be real.  We want our children to be assigned and learn how to successfully complete homework.  HOWEVER,  I’m sure I am not alone in feeling bogged down by my children’s homework.  It never fails.  The one night I intend to prepare a quick dinner and turn in early, I’m hit with the “Oh, Mom I forget to tell you about the project that’s due tomorrow.” (Insert completely overwhelmed and bewildered look here.)  I recall being more excited than my children for the end of the school year one year.  It seemed like our lives literally revolved around homework horrors filled with tears, frustration and sometimes even tantrums. (more…)

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There’s simply no sure fire way that I know of to be one hundred percent prepared for the arrival of a new baby.

From day one, each child is an individual and there’s no way for parents to predict if they’ll have a sleeper, crier, happy baby or fussy baby. There are a few things that parents can do to prepare for this brief moment of time when your baby is a newborn.  Before preparing, one must set realistic expectations for the family.  People will tell you to sleep when baby is sleeping.  I never understood how that was even a possibility.  My children took relatively short naps and if I could get in a brief shower with out one wailing, I would have been elated.  By the third week of my eldest daughter’s life, I gave up on pampering myself and shaving my legs in the shower.  I learned to wait until we had a visitor if I wanted to splurge my free time on pampering myself.

But I’m not prepared!  (more…)

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#HappyBirthdayToMyEldestDaughter – Today is my eldest daughter’s 12^th birthday! This morning while playing on pinterest at 4 am, (Don’t judge me, it’s the only time my house and life are completely still) it hit me that I have been a mommy for twelve whole years. It really does feel like it was yesterday when I was anxiously anticipating her arrival. My world has completely revolved in the last decade+2.

One of the major changes in the past twelve years has been my so-called routine. I used to have one. I promise you, I DID. I remember rising at 6am in order to be at work at 8am and carelessly choosing to work out before or after work (which was totally dependent upon what’s showing on tv or when and where happy hour was happening that night).

Twelve years and two daughters later:

The only routine I have before work is the routine I plan in my head. I always check off the major boxes. You know, bathing, brushing teeth and getting dressed. Everything else is up for negotiation depending on how far in advance they remember to tell me they have a game after school or if they volunteered me to pick up donuts for the entire grade. Although I don’t compromise on the getting dressed aspect of my morning to do’s, how long I have to complete tasks is a different story. Last week, I literally ran out of the house barefoot with 2 different pairs of boots, a coat, work bag and pocketbook filled with everything needed to curl my hair and put on my face at the office (since I ran out of time at home). It was a choice between getting my girls to school on time or putting on shoes. They win every time.

This is what my routine looks like in my head when I wake up every morning at 4 a.m. (more…)

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