There are crazy mornings. And then there are comical ones.
Most times, they are one-in-the-same.
Like Monday: I left my phone upstairs so I missed the multiple calls and messages from my friend/babysitter that she was ill.
I didn’t check my phone until after my shower. And that was just 10 minutes before I had to take the big kids to school.
But I called another dear friend. “Remember our conversation about your offer to babysit in an emergency? It’s an emergency.”
She didn’t hesitate: What time? Where?
So after getting the three kids to their …

I confess, when it comes to loose teeth, I’m a big wimp.
I knew this before I had children. When they were younger, my nieces happily jumped in my face to show off their latest soon-to-be treasure for the tooth fairy.
And I had to look away!
Now my own kids are at the age where they’re creating toothless faces for school photos and family Christmas cards.
Last week, each child lost a tooth.
I didn’t know my son even HAD a loose tooth. Like the three he’s lost recently, this one came out at …

Last week, I took my three kiddos halfway across the country to visit my sister for spring break. We had a great time. We even spent one day playing in what was left of the snow bank by her house.
And though we have family all over the country, I think our trip marked the first time I’ve flown with an infant. We drive to California to visit my dad and family there and I think my youngest was a toddler before I travelled to the Midwest with her a few …

Monday mornings should be easier at the house, but they’re not. We’ve started a “night before” routine (picking out clothes, showers, etc), which has improved the start of our week, but I’m still making adjustments.
But what if my Monday morning meant a trip out of town for work?
Boston-based violinist Jennifer Frautschi, 37, often faces that task, though not always on Mondays. As an acclaimed musician, she performs with symphonies across the country. Last weekend, she was in the Valley, performing three concerts with the Phoenix Symphony.
One example of her crazy …

Sunday morning I woke up early, loaded the three kids in the car and drove to Tempe Town Lake.
Our goal: To see Dean Karnazes, who is running across America. I got the chance to talk with Dean (literally, on the run last week via phone) and I showed the kids the “Live! With Regis and Kathy” website.
I even bought a pair of running shoes.
We arrived right after the 5k started, so we walked about half the path, then turned around to see the end of the event.
At one point I …

I came across a blog last week written by the publisher of a local parenting magazine. She described a recent experience she’s had with an mom who asked for a story to be removed from the Web because it shared details about her son that he wished were not out there.
Thing is, the story was written several years ago. And the mom, an author, also wrote a book about the issue.
The blog brought some real questions to front about what parents share online – which of course happens all the …

Some days, all I need to see or hear is this, “I love my mom.”
That makes all the craziness disappear.
It reminds me of the simple relationship between me and my kids. They love me. I love them.
And my main job, my priority in life, is to care for them.
Happy weekend, all!

I confess, the television has been on quite a bit today. My 6-year-old is home after throwing up yesterday at school. My baby is home, too. She has an upper respiratory infection and ear infection.
I’m home, trying to work! (Thank you, bosses!)
I know my daughter is ill because she’s not moved from the couch. This is a girl who wakes up each morning and says, “What are we going to do today?” She never sits still (much like her mommy).
I’m feeling guilty, of course, about the TV. She slept in …

Last night, my kids came home and saw the notes I’d written them on the whiteboard (part of my monthlong plan to tell them why I love them).
They enjoyed them. My daughter asked me to read my note to her several times. I then got started feeding my baby and helping my son with homework.
My daughter, 6, was quietly working at the whiteboard. I assumed she was writing numbers, a new activity for her.
But then I found her message to me.
It was her turn to share the love!

I’m in love.
Completely. Addictively. In. Love.
That’s what I’m sharing this month. My love for with the ones I live with.
I left a note on the white board listing the reasons I love them today.
For my husband, for how he makes me smile.
For my son, his sense of humor.
For my daughter, her zest for life.
For my baby, her smiles (Really, they’re nonstop. Her doctor said to her yesterday while diagnosing an ear infection, “Stop smiling! You’re supposed to be sick. You should have named her ‘Smiley.’”)
Sure, it’s not easy with three …