Confessions of a PTO Mom

May 24, 2013 by AnnQ

I was a reluctant recruit to the Parent Teacher Organization board at my son’s elementary school. It’s not like I raised my hand and volunteered, I was followed (relentlessly) through the maze of Stew Leonard’s by one of the other parents on the board. As she tailed me through the aisles and wore me down by telling me all the great things about being on the board – although her mouth was saying “It’s fun! You get to meet other moms! We drink WINE at the meetings….” Her eyes were saying, “I’M BEGGING YOU, PLEASE DO THIS F-ING FUNDRAISING JOB WITH ME…I’M DYING DOING IT ALONE.” And that’s how I was recruited onto the PTO board.

I’m a sucker for a person-in-need – especially one who is promising wine.

That was two years ago…I’m still on the board. She is gone.  Read more...

The Honest Truth: It Took Time For Me to Love My Baby

May 20, 2013 by Michelle

My daughter’s birthday is in a few days. She’ll be turning two and is just a totally awesome kid. The love I have for her is often overwhelming and I am constantly trying to squeeze in more hugs and kisses. I love seeing her develop and grow – she’s becoming quite the little chatter box and is using her imagination so much more. I feel sometimes like my heart is just going to explode out of my body from the deep love and affection I feel for her.

But it wasn’t always this way.  Read more...

The Graduate

May 17, 2013 by AnnQ

Tomorrow my nice, “C”, will graduate from college. Technically, she is my niece-in-law, my husband’s brother’s daughter (got that?). It seems so surreal to have watched this little girl with the gigantic brown eyes become a woman – how did that happen?

It’s humbling to have watched someone grow from a child of four to a woman of twenty-two. Being an aunt, I think, is sort of like grandma training – you get to experience all the good parts of having little kids around without dealing with temper tantrums, diaper changes, or handing over the car keys. I’ve been there for birthday parties, sleepovers, graduation ceremonies, piano recitals, proms, first boyfriends, and all the other little milestones that families celebrate together. At each stage, I’ve marveled at what a great kid she is – kind, a little shy, dryly witty, innately curious, and super-duper smart.  Read more...

Teaching My Daughter About Kindness

May 13, 2013 by Michelle

I didn’t really have big plans for mother’s day yesterday. I was happy just hanging around doing the same old thing. I went for a run in the morning and decided to head to the Odiyana Center for a Sunday meditation class. Turns out the meditation was specific for mother’s day and focused on remembering the kindness of our mother. Even more than that though, the emphasis was about how important kindness is in general. We would not be where we are today without the kindness of others. The meditation was just beautiful and a wonderful reminder about how I want to live my life.  Read more...

My Mother’s Love

May 9, 2013 by carlycorrigan

Mother’s love is peace. It need not be acquired, it need not be deserved.

-Erich Fromm

My mommy and me circa 1984

There has never been a day in my life that I have doubted my mom’s love for me or felt that I had to earn it. It was handed to me freely without any stipulation. She has always been there for me when I needed something; a listening ear, shoulder to cry on, advice (whether or not I chose to listen).  Read more...