Most of my girlfriends would love to be in my shoes. (No, probably not literally since I wear a size 10.) But, from our conversations, I understand most could live without their mothers-in-law. Let’s face it; they get a bad rap. From comedy skits to clichéd romance flicks, the mother-in-law is cast in a less-than-positive light. JLo even starred in a movie where they dubbed the opposing role her Monster-in-Law. But, if you ask me, they couldn’t be more wrong. I would give just about anything to still have mine be here right now. This week marked Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day at my son’s …
I value my time. I don’t have any of it to waste. I have two young children and a full-time job. There is not much “extra” time to go around. I think that may be what frustrates me the most about going to the doctor. It isn’t the need to go for check-ups and all the messiness they force, like injections and blood samples (yuck). It isn’t even the cost. It is the time wasting involved. Don’t get me wrong, I go. I am pretty good about keeping my yearly appointment. I even make sure the kids and husband get in for theirs, but when I make the date, I figure on losing the entire day. Ironically, …
Every parent of young children can relate. How many of you have gone through your day humming the tune to Dora? How about having the Sesame Street theme song in your head through work? Isn’t it lovely? I am living out what I hope to be my final years of being exposed to these television shows. I can’t wait until my kids want to curl up at night and watch American Idol or can sit through the full hour of Amazing Race with me. Sure, these shows are far less educational and far trashier, but I can’t tell you a time I had their opening numbers stuck in my brain for hours and hours. Let’s face it…
For the most part, I feel like I am a parent in control of my children. I’ve seen those that are not. I have seen those that do so much better than I could ever hope for, too. With some basic discipline, solid and clear rules, and consistency, my husband and I usually can maintain order. We joke that we can’t have a third child because our defensive plan would have to adjust. For now, we can play man-to-man, but three kids would mean a breakdown into zone. To me, that means a little bit less ability to control the situation. There is one card a child holds, though. I am hoping those that …
Ah, the joys of the open road. I recall being a young tot, facing the rear of my grandmother’s station wagon, heading to the lake every summer. She’d stock us up with yummy treats, like Hugs (Who remembers those lovely sugar-water-filled, barrel-shaped juice drinks?) and Pringles and, if we were good, those Penrose pickled sausages in a jar. We couldn’t watch a movie or play a hand-held video game, but we could make signs on blank pieces of paper with our crayons or flash funny faces at the drivers facing us the whole way there. Trips seemed endless as a kid, and I think that is a frustration…
It isn’t 1950. But you may be surprised to know how many gender roles seem to be set in stone. Not a lot has changed in the public’s mindset since then, apparently. Our household is fairly used to the confused looks. My husband is a stay-at-home dad. He is a great dad. He does it well. I work, and he does not. To be honest, we are both very open-minded people. We had both taken off time at the birth of my son, our first child, and when it came time to return to the workforce, we were torn about who should do so. In fairness, we decided we’d both go to a job fair. Whoever could come out of the…
I am a pretty good mom, I think. I swear. No, I don’t swear that I am a good mom, I mean, despite being a decent mom most of the time, I cuss. When I was a kid, my mom always said that swearing was something less intelligent people do. When they could not find another word, those that cannot think for themselves use swear words. With my vast vocabulary, I should be able to use more intelligent words to express myself. As I grew up, I believed that story less and less. By the time I was an adult, I completely disagreed. There are times when no other word in the English language can truly do. …
Can you still call it baby weight if your baby is 3? I think so. There, I decided. It’s official. Well, whether it is official or not doesn’t matter. It’s still there. I think, like a lot of moms out there, I’ve tried it all. I’ve done nationwide, allegedly proven diet plans. I’ve purchased food, counted points, weighed in. In short, it was a lot of public embarrassment, but not a lot of results. Last week, while getting measured for my brother’s wedding, I think I hit an all-time low. I will say I’m pretty sure it was half my weight and half a psychotic saleswoman. So there I am, in the most…
It was a magical day in our family. It would change the house forever. It was momentous and exciting, but also scary and nerve-racking. And, it wasn’t the first time it had happened. At our house, we have always fought a battle with the binky. That’s right. Call it what you wish … bink, binky, paci, dummy, pacifier … it’s all the same. As a mom, I’ve heard it all. Both of my children, my son and daughter, had them. And now, the Treacy house is free of them forever! How’d we do it? Like I said, it was “magic.” At our house, we owe it all to the Binky Fairy! Who, or what, might you ask is that…
I don’t envy teachers. I can barely take care of two kids that are mine, let alone an entire classroom full of children. They have hard jobs, and I can’t imagine with my patience level that I could ever accomplish what they do in a single day. But, there is one thing I am a bit jealous about in the world of teachers. When they are sick, their boss calls in a substitute. That’s what I need right now, a substitute. I’ve always said that one of the hardest parts of my job is that, even if I am sick or go on a vacation, news is still happening. News doesn’t take a break for my illness. So if I …
God has the devil. Superman has Lex Luthor. The Philadelphia Eagles have the Dallas Cowboys. For there to be a perfect balance in the world, for everything positive, there must be an equal negative to create a level playing field. If I had to pick my polar opposite, it would be Martha Stewart. I couldn’t be more different. I have a hard time keeping a clean house, let alone do I press my guest towels. I usually cook something out of a box or a can, and seldom even follow a recipe, let alone create my own. Regardless, it doesn’t mean that, as a mommy, I don’t want my kids to have the things I …
I call it a glamorous life. Motherhood is a lengthy combination of jobs you don’t always want to do. But, being someone’s “mom” means you have to. I guess because we love them, or maybe because there is no one else there to do it; whatever the reasons, we do a lot for our kids. And most of it, they are never going to remember, let alone thank you for down the road.Sometimes when I am performing those tasks, like cleaning my child’s vomit off my own clothes on a Monday night, I try to think about the positive. What, you might ask, is positive about that situation?Well, once upon a time, …
It is an aisle I could always skip in the grocery store. Before I was a mommy, I used to skip that whole half of the store. Produce? Check. Deli? Check. Dry goods, canned vegetables, pasta? Check. But, after that, those other aisles all seemed pointless. Jars and jars of baby food, diapers, Gerber Graduates, wipes. But, two babies later, and I found myself frequenting those rows. Their items became regularly featured needs on my list. But, I still had those pet aisles I could skip, right? Well, this week, our family grew by one member. We have been wanting a puppy for a few years. Well, let …
