Mama, Take The Kids

If you had told pre-kid me that I was going to fly solo across the country with my four-month-old baby, I would’ve called you insane. Sure, I have always had a love for travel, but traveling anywhere alone with my son had me overwhelmed in just a few minutes. I didn’t want to tackle a 30 minute trip to the Target in the next town over, much less various airports I’d never set foot in before. My son cried the entire 20 minute ride home from the hospital the first time we ever buckled him into his carseat…so I honestly tried to avoid traveling unless it was absolutely necessary.

But I’m here to tell you: Mama, take the kids anyway.

A trip of any sorts, whether it’s a day trip to Dollywood or a 7+ hour drive back home to visit family, can be a monumental undertaking, especially with young kids. If you decide to do anything out of the norm without the help of your spouse, then the moment you pull out of your driveway you’re probably thinking “Heaven help me. What have I done? I want to turn around.” Even the smallest day trip to the city pool or the “nice” park when you don’t have your partner for backup can induce anxiety and make you wonder if you might be insane for trying anything alone.

Mama, take the kids.

Read the rest over on Knoxville Moms.

What My Family Learned From ISR Swim Lessons

My husband and I grew up on the water. Almost all sunny weekends of my childhood were spent on a boat and my husband has only a few childhood memories that lack a swimming pool. If kids could’ve had fins, we both would’ve had them. Fast-forward to young married life and we spent all the free time we had at the beach (perks of going to college in Florida!). To say water is an integral part of our lives would be an understatement. Water ebbs and flows through our family and we want to pass that love, and the memories that come along with it, to our kids.

Our kids were in life jackets riding boats before they could sit up and I was a ball of anxiety. When you’re around water as much as we are, you know how things can go wrong in a split second with zero warning. Young kids and bodies of water, of any size, do not mix. Sure, I wanted my kids to experience life on the water and make memories like I did growing up, but I was completely unaware of how nerve-racking it would be for me. I was unprepared.

Enter: ISR swim lessons

Read the rest over on Knoxville Moms.

Mama, The Work You’re Doing Isn’t Going Unnoticed

Being a mom is by far the absolute hardest thing I’ve ever done (and my kids are only toddlers so it’s only going to get harder). It has broken me in more ways than I imagined. It has tested me beyond whatever I thought my limits were. I’ve gained and lost 50+ pounds twice. Most of my hair has fallen out multiple times. I’ve gone months on end without a solid night of sleep. I’ve cried more tears than I can count over both the small & the big things. I’ve had PPD & PPA, separately & together. I never thought I’d be a stay at home mom, but somehow here I am. My kids push buttons I didn’t even know existed. I know I get it all wrong more than I ever get anything right. Absolutely nothing about being a mother has been what I thought it would be.

And yet..... I’d do it all again a thousand times over if it meant having these kids in my life for even the shortest amount of time.

I’m so glad God made me their Mom. I like to think they needed me, but He & I both know that I was the one needing them.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mamas. The work you’re doing isn’t going unnoticed

{& hugs to all those today that can’t hug their own moms & children. You aren’t forgotten this weekend }

This post was originally published on Facebook.

Mama, Take The Trip (And Leave The Expectations Behind)

Traveling with young kids is not for the faint of heart. Heck, traveling with kids of any age is generally a free-for-all: someone is crying, someone is bleeding at some point, someone forgot their shoes, someone forgot to charge the iPad, someone is causing everyone else to be late, someone will probably puke, and on and on and on. Sadly, I’m not here to tell you anything different. I’m not going to tell you it’s a walk in the park. I don’t have any tips for you.

Traveling with kids is hard.

I know everyone says it will get easier as the kids get older, but I think little kid problems just get replaced with big kid problems. Vacations, whether big or small, will always be hectic. Toss in an extended-family-vacation and by the end of it, you’re walking around with your head detached from your body.

The kids are running entirely on sugar fumes, the sleeping is nonexistent, and you’re bound to have a delayed flight or hit major traffic on the interstate. Someone will need to pee every three minutes, the baby will refuse to cooperate with anything, you’ll forget that you brought the family dog at least once, and you’ll wonder why you booked a place with a kitchen because it’s not like your children will magically decide to eat your meals just because there’s been a change of scenery.

Take the trip anyway.

Read the rest over on Knoxville Moms.

My Husband Is My Best Friend

My husband is my best friend. It’s true. He became my best friend when I was 16 and we’ve been inseparable ever since.

Any time an event comes up and I’m told I can bring a friend, the person I want to bring is my husband. Do I have girl friends that would rather eat brunch or paint pictures of trees? Of course! But my immediate reaction every time someone says bring a friend is: I wonder if my husband is free? (Not that he would even want to go eat brunch or paint anyway, though).

Every movie you watch or every book you read, it’s always a dynamic girl duo taking on the world. It’s a girl friend that gets to know all the secrets and be the maid of honor for not only the wedding, but basically for life. You mention “my person,” and everyone knows you’re talking about the Christina Yang to your Meredith Grey.

That’s not my case.

Read the rest over on Knoxville Moms.