Two years ago, when the children were home from school for the summer; I increased my freelance writing and communications work, as well as worked to sell one house, buy another and move... and did not hire adequate childcare. Last summer, I found myself working at least 28 hours per week as an editor and writer... and did not arrange enough babysitting coverage. This summer I had a newborn at home, as well as her two older siblings, and I committed to a few hours each day of freelance work. So what did I do? Did I finally wise up and sign the big kids up for camps, or track down a lovely …
Our house currently has a new baby, two elementary school kids home from school all summer with minimal camp enrollment, a hard working dad who has been burning the midnight oil and a freelance writing mom who has bitten off more than she can chew. Thankfully, we have a summer savior: My mother. Otherwise known as Grandma, or the most beautiful woman in the world to this overwhelmed mama. Seriously J. Lo, you need to abdicate that People magazine title and hand it right on over to my mom. I love my mother, absolutely. She is always upbeat and sweet and makes the entire house smile. I love how…
This year I turned 36. It was my harshest b-day to date. I know it's just a number, but it threw me into an official NOT YOUNG demographic. But rather than waste precious time worrying about something I cannot change, on my birthday I instead wasted precious time reading the birthday wall posts I received on Facebook. The return for having everyone from your past, present and online worlds wish you well and give you compliments was almost worth aging that much closer to the Denny’s senior citizen special. On the off-off-off chance you're staunchly resisting joining Facebook, I recommend …
When you head to BWI this summer and you see a family with three children, four suitcases, one infant carrier, two Leapsters, two laptops, various stuffed animals, a tall dark-haired guy checking his Blackberry trying to block it all out, and a tired mid-thirties chick nursing while standing in the security line...well, that's us. The Griswolds have some serious competition and their name is The McFaddens. We are that family on your airplane. The ones pleading with the ticket agents to seat us together and arriving late due to a lost blankie in the parking garage, the ones with two kids …
I love teenagers. Probably because I still feel like one. I mean, how did I get to be 36, responsible for three small human beings, the owner of a mortgage and a minivan, already on my "second career," married for almost nine years and kissing only one guy for ten? Just two seconds ago my mom was checking me into college while I wore a flannel tied around my waist and Nirvana and Snoop blared from the dorm windows...right? Not. I'm a mid-thirties suburban mom. And I've never been so happy. Even as each day I see my hotness quotient plummet. Even as I realize the bra I try to buy at Vicky…
Our regular columnist, Jessica McFadden, has been off for a few weeks after the birth of her third child. Mom of a Million Mistakes has had an excellent roster of guest columnists, and Jessica will be back next week. Jean Winegardner, aka "Stimey", is the mom of three children who writes a personal blog at Stimeyland; an autism-events website for Montgomery County, Maryland, at AutMont; and a column called Autism Unexpected in the Washington Times Communities. You can find her on Twitter as @Stimey. If your kids attend Montgomery County public schools (as mine do), you are (as I am) facing …
Our regular columnist, Jessica McFadden, is off for a few weeks after the birth of her third child. Mom of a Million Mistakes will have several guest columnists in the upcoming weeks. Colleen Zarzecki is the author of Wrecklamation, and the mother of two girls, ages 7 and 4. She works part-time from home, writing and editing. Friday was the last day of first grade for my older daughter. I arrived at the playground to pick her up with an anticipatory smile on my face – I was so excited for her. Leaving first grade is a huge milestone -- this was the year that our little girl solidified her …
Our regular columnist, Jessica McFadden, is off for a few weeks after the birth of her third child. Mom of a Million Mistakes will have several guest columnists in the upcoming weeks. Guest columnist, Garine Isassi, is a freelance writer who writes the weekly column Mom in the Middle for North Potomac Patch. I met Mom of a Million Mistakes' columnist, Jessica McFadden, when she was on an Arts Council panel a couple of months ago. She was representing Mommy bloggers and was in an obvious state of pregnancy. She beamed that this child was to be her third. I nodded appreciatively and thought, “…
Our regular columnist, Jessica McFadden, is off for a few weeks after the birth of her third child. Mom of a Million Mistakes will have several guest columnists in the upcoming weeks. Leticia Barr, aka "Tech Savvy Mama," is the mom of two children who writes a resource blog called Tech Savvy Mama to help parents navigate the ever-changing world of technology. She also has a weekly column on The LeapFrog Community and can be found on Twitter as @TechSavvyMama. As we look towards summer, my children are looking forward to a break from school, unstructured days where our moods dictate our …
Parenting in Wheaton and Silver Spring means… being lulled to sleep by the sound of trucks on the Beltway and Georgia Avenue, and telling yourself they sound like waves crashing on the beach. you pay more for the babysitter than the tickets to see your favorite band’s show in D.C. making three separate grocery trips when hosting a dinner party in order to buy wine, liquor, and food. getting to use your native or school-learned Spanish. your relatives in other areas should never be told what you paid for your mid-century three bedroom home. the word “immersion” brings elusive French- and …
Being a mom is wonderful, brings meaning to my life, is deeply fulfilling, and in the much-quoted words of Natalie Portman, is "the greatest role." It’s also complicated and tough and messy. Which is why it's important to keep top of mind all the joy of momming it up! Here are my Top 5: 1: Unconditional love and mutual adoration have become a ho-hum, everyday, constant part of my life. I smother people with kisses and hugs and am smothered in return. While the kids are still young, saying “I love you” all day is never annoying or icky. I vividly remember single and childless years of …
As I discussed last week in this column about my favorite women's boutiques in Montgomery County, I'm not going to be doing much spring and summer clothing shopping this year, what with having a baby in May. But what I have been doing with the clothing I have is seriously organizing my inventory. The idea is that this spring and after baby, I'll be able to, as GOOP-y Gwyneth says, shop my closet. (I know, I know, you cringe but you have to admit that the smug mom of two has mad style.) I went through and took a good hard look at every single parcel of clothing and accessory I owned. I grabbed…
As I reach the end of this pregnancy, I can't wait to shop for clothes that don't have the following: Big up-to-the-boob blue belly panels itchier than poison oak Floppy collars and bows that belong at the circus Drapey wraps and sweaters so massive they look straight outta Bea Arthur's wardrobe on The Golden Girls Swimsuits in the exact same shades of black and navy blue used to make old school nuns' habits However, if you are not in the family way and you're looking to support local, independently-owned shops, here are my favorite savvy-styley places in the area to rack up the Visa balance…
I'm currently nine months pregnant, and thus, I can't seem to waddle around my neighborhood, grocery store or any public place without eliciting commentary from perfect strangers on my extremely obvious about-to-pop state. These comments can be as simple as an under-the-breath "Whoa!" or "Dang, girl!" (usually from very scared looking young men) to full on conversations on when and exactly how this baby is going to exit my body. And then there the people who want to start analyzing my in utero child's potential personality and behavioral traits. "Do you want a good sleeper?" "I bet you hope …
The best parks and playgrounds in the Washington, D.C. area are located in Montgomery County, in my humble, totally biased opinion. But it's tough not to be biased when our area's great parks have saved my booty as a parent and delighted my kids hundreds of times. I'm a big fan of using the Montgomery County Parks Directory to locate a brand new playground to take the kids, or refinding our favorite play destinations from last season. You simply click that link, check off the amenities your kids love and the zip codes nearest you and a whole slew of free outdoor play facilities come up. It's …
January and February in the DC area do it to me every year. Sometimes March is on my naughty list too. They cause me to pause my extracurricular web surfing of parenting, cooking and style blogs and switch to real estate listings. In San Diego. (Well, when the power's not out and I can actually get an Internet signal) I can't stand wet, windy, freezing Washington weather and our local infrastructure's response to a couple inches of snow. I'm not a total winter Grinch. Sledding is great fun... for 30 minutes, tops. One or two snow days off from school are fun, but as long as there's still …
"She tried to be funny." - My future epitaph. Humor is hard. Especially the verbally-expressed kind. It takes intelligence, planning, keeping up with current events and pop culture, and the ability to plug into your audience. And you don't have to be a mom blogger, writer, or even a big time creative or journalist to realize the importance of humor in daily life. We all strive for it. Emails, Facebook wall posts, presentations, meetings, quick conversations with co-workers in the hall or fellow parents in the school parking lot all require adept funny bone skills. Which is why it is often so …
My kids and I adore a good waltz through antique shops and thrift stores throughout the area. The dustier, darker and more cluttered the store? The better. It's like we get to step right into the pages of both of our obsessions: my kids' beloved I SPY books (books full of photographs seemingly taken in grandmas' attics and abandoned toy stores), and my much-drooled-upon faux vintage-filled Anthropologie catalogs. At almost five and seven, my kids are old enough to keep their hands firmly clasped and (mostly) abide by the strict rule of no touching as we walk through these treasure troves. Of…
This weekend I donated a glider chair and ottoman we no longer needed to another family (that they picked up at my convenience, directly from my house!) and also found some free, almost-new gear for our upcoming baby. Seven years ago I found a community of parents who I know I will still be laughing with when we someday are grandparents. Four years ago I met an editor at The Washington Post who took a chance and offered me, a new blogger, a freelance writing assignment for one of the world's top newspapers (a kid-centric feature in the local edition of course, I'm not talking about All the …
After I had my first baby back in 2003, I literally wandered around Silver Spring for six months with a huge smile and an adorable baby, hoping that I’d randomly make a mom friend. I knew exactly one other woman in the area with young children, and I didn't want to wear her out. Yup, this busybody who plays a mom in the know on the internet was once fellow-mom friendless. Sometimes I met my former coworkers and single friends for drinks at fashionable NW D.C. bars and brought Charlie along. I nursed him in the middle of happy hours populated by young professionals, once was even officially …
