n a way, it was an excellent test of the Emergency Relationship System. Except we failed. In all the ways. So, I ended up a single parent during a pandemic while the world was appearing to crumble all around.… Read More Love in the Time of, Well, All of This
For a few humbling months, I became just Jen. Not the explorer or the artist… I started to doubt if I was worth anything at all if I wasn’t making or accomplishing something. It was a dark ass time.… Read More Left-Handed Ravens and Other Happy Accidents
Happiness. This is what I see when I look at this photo. Not crazy happy like everything is perfect, far from it, but we are happy. For this one moment in time, I see smiles, silliness, love and summer. We are all together and it’s my happiness. This weekend is always an emotional one for… Read More Happiness
Several months ago, our eleven-year-old suddenly morphed from a little kid into a tweenager. This (literal and figurative) development thrilled Lili and terrified us. Shortly thereafter, we discovered that my clothes and shoes fit her, another milestone which delighted her but struck fear into my heart. Lil now calls everyone “bruh” and does a… Read More The view from above
When I was growing up (for the record, I cannot believe I’m old enough to begin a sentence with those words!!), we didn’t have cell phones. Not, like, kids didn’t have them. Nobody had them, as they had not yet been invented. The best chance of tracking down doctors, or spouses kept on short leashes,… Read More Tuning out
Dear Timo, Every year on your birthday, I look at photos of you, and I marvel… and cry. Somehow, in the blink of an eye, you have gone from a 5 pound newborn to a 5 year-old boy. Beautiful at birth, delicate and serene, we fawned over your exquisite bone structure… which was quickly obscured… Read More A letter to my son on his 5th birthday
I have been doing this mom thing for almost eight years now, and yet up until very recently, I struggled with dinner time. And when I say “struggle” I’m talking about every aspect… …from what I make (and kids don’t eat). … to the time of day (the kids are never hungry at… Read More Dinner Wars
This past week, my social media feed was a buzz with the New Year goals and resolutions of my friends and family. Some were planning to eat healthier, exercise more, be more present, find better work/home balance, do yoga, travel more, etc. And while I think that it is wonderful that the new year offers us… Read More To Hell With “New Year, New Me”
The road to dog rescue is paved with the 3 Bs: Bugs, Barf, and Bites, and I’ve had my share of them all. Date night with Karen is less likely to involve a romantic dinner and more likely to involve detonating flea bombs in my car to eliminate party favors left by a recent transport. … Read More The people who you meet in dog rescue
Yesterday, my seven year old said to me, “I want to play Legos upstairs.” I glanced up from my phone, and said, “ok, go ahead.” He replied, “No. With you.” WITH YOU. Both of my kids say this all the time. If they go upstairs, out in the backyard, or even to the bathroom, they want me… Read More I’ll Go With You Always
CT Working Moms 