bring joy

Oh boy, we blew the budget (& some exciting news)

Amalia, or Mali-may, my 5 year old.

Which means we’re $2500 behind where we want to be.

You know the saying, “There are only two things in life that are certain: death & taxes”?

Well I would add to that, a third: “unexpected” expenses. They’re always going to come up, they’re always going to be there.

Another truth I’ve discovered is that once kids are in the mix, there tend to be even more unexpected expenses (especially as they get older). Maybe not so much “unexpected” as much as, oh, I didn’t realize the kids would need that, or that I should have budgeted for that.

I forgot to budget in school supplies, school clothes, PTA dues, things that a responsible/involved parent will pay for. So I scoured the house & got everything we already had at home, from pencils to kid scissors,...

{MM} 9.9.13 Why I’m Not Quitting the Blog

marvelous mondays

Over the past 3 months, I’ve gone through periods of intense reflection–being away from technology has a way of doing that to you.

About the time I decided I needed to take the summer off, Sheryl Sandberg & others were making the headlines, making their voices known in the: “woman can have it all” discussion. I find the topic a bit well-worn, myself. But beyond that, it did get me thinking–why is it that we think we should “have it all”? And for that matter, what does “having it all” really mean?

I spent my 20’s as a working mom. Granted, it wasn’t full-time so I was able to be with my kids more than someone who is working 40, 50, or 60 hour weeks. And it was a great job, a career if that’s what I wanted. And then, all of sudden, things switched. No longer living a life of...

summer sabbatical

blogging, personal

I’m going to take the next 3 months or so off from blogging. A sabbatical of sorts. TV shows do it, teachers do it, why not bloggers?

Since it’s summer time & all my kids are at home, I want to be 100% present for them while they are here. I only really have a few more summers with my older ones before they’re busy with sports, friends, or other things that are more interesting than their mom. Inspired by the Hands Free Mama, I want to make sure I don’t miss out on the most important stuff with them.

Also, we were gifted some money from my generous in-laws to make the trip to Washington for a family reunion. I decided to make it a rather long trip, so the kids & I are going to spend a good chunk of the summer up there, visiting cousins, aunts, & uncles, camping, & just enjoying being...