Every day this week – not exaggerating – Madison (see Belly Questions for an idea of what I am dealing with working with this girl everyday) has informed me that I have not blogged in 5 days…6 days…7 days… Enough already! Do you see this picture? I am nesting! Madison is trying to get preggers, as she calls it. She has not yet gone through the Jekel/Hyde transformation of motherhood. Which makes her completely unsympathetic to…
I stand before you a humble, convicted date night killer. Nine times out of ten, if the date goes into sudden death, it was my fault. I have no excuse. It is a simple two-count misdemeanor so deceptively innocent that it can snuff out a date faster than a baby can spit up on a silk blouse. Misdemeanor #1 – a wrong attitude I am on the date with my husband who, by the way, is totally focused on me, desiring…
Ah, now that is the mom question of the decade! In the last ten to twenty years, there has been an explosion of extra-curricular activities. And it is a multidimensional, 3-D explosion. There are now a million types of activities, offered for more ages and with an alarmingly intense level of competition. It’s enough to intimidate Rocky Balboa. That being said, some kids love it. That being said, some kids don’t. You don’t want your child to be a quitter but,…
We are strong-willed people, my husband and I. And we are not timid about sharing our opinions. So, when Gary Oliver taught us the Rate It Method for resolving conflict, it was a game changer in the Merrill household. (click to tweet) Gary Oliver is not just a psychologist, he is a man with a wife and children. He knows how things go down in a house full of personality. The big difference is he is a Doctor who knows how…
It is a mystery to some and as easy as breathing to others. It can be a life long struggle or life saving comfort. My experience with the illusive quiet time has been…a rocky road. In the beginning I spent several years grappling with a nagging feeling that I just wasn’t quite doing it right. I was inconsistent in my timing, unsure of my content and often discouraged. I couldn’t find the peace and love for it that so many of my…