Deep South Moms

Finding the Me in Mommy

I may need an attitude adjustment. I seem to be missing something. It may have a bit to do with reading Laura Bennett's book called "Didn't I Feed You Yesterday" and its enforcement of being an individual as well as a mom. It may have to do with the time I have been spending with my kids and some great moms I have been getting to know recently. Either way, I am losing patience with the people who claim to lose themselves in mommyhood and don't know who they are anymore.

Now, keep in mind I have two children. I do not think that it is easy to be a stay at home mom, nor do I think a working mom has it any easier (well, most days I believe it's the same. Some days I envy the working mom). In either case, it is hard to be a mom. There are challenging days when you can't seem to put that screaming toddler down or you run out of hours to get all of your errands done. Finding time for yourself can be a bit of a challenge- but if you do not take care of yourself and put yourself first sometimes, who else is going to?

Dreading those Summer Days

Summer is coming. I know this is inevitable every year, and I do love the warmer weather. However, all I could think about lately was last summer and the many long days I spent with my then 3 year old and 5 month old, trying to juggle activities and meet both of their needs. It was a very long summer before his preschool began. So as this summer approaches, I find myself wondering, what am I going to do with my son all summer long?

I realize this does not sound like the best statement for a stay at home mom of two to make regarding one of her children. However, last week my four year old son was home for the week from preschool for the Spring Break. I was so excited to spend the week with the two kids. I had planned adventures to the park, kid-gourmet picnics on the beach, strolls down to the marina. Yes, the three of us were going to have so much fun enjoying Spring Break.

And then reality set in.

Fearing Playgroups

I avoid playgroups. I admit it. I know that I have two young children and that I am responsible for helping them cultivate friendships and expose them to new people and surroundings. The importance of socializing children is not something beyond me, and yet I find myself hesitating in joining in with a group here in our new state. Throughout our many moves and various locations, I have joined various playgroups, and there is one particular thread of familiarity they all seem to have: my own insecurities and fear of other moms’ opinions. 

Finding friends as an adult is much like dating; you meet people in various places, through various people and contacts. You end up getting together to see how things go, whether or not there is a mutual fit between you. When attending a playgroup for the first time, it is like going on a blind date with a group of people, all who are in familiar territory while you are invading the space. Uncertainty consumes me as I start to question what I am wearing, what my children are wearing, the diaper bag I brought along. It becomes such a stress-inducing event that when I finally arrive, I either stay quiet and smile hesitantly at people and wait for them to speak to me, or I launch a verbal attack on the first poor soul is kind enough to befriend me.

Operation: Cake Pops

We all have goals in life. Some people want to be a doctor, others strive to reach political heights. Some people want to travel the world and others wish to stay close to home. Yes, we all have goals in life,  dreams to achieve. I have career goals, parenting goals, and personal goals. What I never expected was that the day would come that I was scouring the tri-city area for the fixings for cake pops.

You see, my son was having a party in his preschool class. As always seems to be the case, I miss the secret sign up session where all the easy ones are taken (when is it my turn to get the napkins?) and of course, someone always signs up for the cookies. I make excellent cookies. But it has been the rule of preschool, across two states mind you, that someone else always signs up for the cookies- and inevitably buys them instead of making them. But I digress. So, in the spirit of achieving snack utopia, we set out to make these cake pops. Sounds simple enough, right? But the day had just begun..