Last month, Christine called her husband (who was away for work) and couldn’t stop crying. Through tears, she said, “This isn’t working for me or our kids.” The “this” she was referring to is her stay-at-home-mom life—the life she’s been living for the last eight years. “Every bit of me wanted to be a mother, […]

Okay, momma’s one day until Halloween. Does anyone else feel the annoying itch to provide epic holiday treats for every damn holiday? I do, 100%. Another of those pre-motherhood fantasies that I’ve learned are not realistic. This year I managed to talk myself off the cookie baking/decorating until mid-night ledge. Old Christine would have done […]

Look how sweetly the big two are interacting. ⁣⁣What this photo doesn’t show is the majority of the time, these two are hell-bent on destroying each other, physically and mentally. ⁣⁣The week leading up to Halloween is always chaotic. There are so many parties, so many expectations, costumes to organize and treats to prepare. Matt […]

We were several weeks deep in trading illnesses back and forth between the five of us. My skin was burning and itching with a severe flare-up of psoriasis. We’d just been blindsided with unexpected health news, and the next steps felt unclear. ⁣⁣The thought came that may be slipping under the bathwater would be easier […]

I have a secret. Not a well-kept secret, but it’s something I usually keep to myself. I’m a P.T.A. mom, and it’s something I dreamt of becoming long before I had kids.   I once told an ex-boyfriend that I couldn’t make a sexy video with him because it might ruin my chance to be […]

The day the pandemic was announced, I sat in my dining room, flooded with shame. ⁣⁣My first thoughts were how I would survive with my three kids and no escape to recharge.⁣⁣How had I become the type of mother when faced with a global pandemic that panicked about spending large amounts of time with her […]

Want to see something weird? ⁣⁣Put me in a room full of cool girls and strong women. Things will get strange quickly. It will definitely get sweaty, and I’ll either start talking gibberish or not at all. ⁣ The Cool Girl Run-In I recently ran into Brianne Jell, “The Cool Girl,” from my high school. […]

When I close my eyes at night, and my mind begins whirling with worry. ⁣⁣When the questions of my worth become highlighted in the darkness. ⁣⁣When the fear of not figuring out the next chapter stares down at me as I try to sleep. ⁣⁣With deep breathes, on repeat, until sleep comes, I remind myself. […]

A Tale of Life After, Happily Ever After. There once was an introvert. He loved peaceful days, gardening, and occasionally playing sports with buddies. He did not enjoy talking about feelings. ⁣⁣This introvert was married to an extrovert who loved nothing more than planning big parties, connecting with all the people, and long in-depth talks […]

Let me tell you a little tale of how this day really went.⁣ 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝟒-𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫-𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐫.” ⁣ ⁣⁣Photographers love to suggest the “golden hour” for the magical light you see in these photos. In parenting circles, this time is known as the witching hour.⁣ Family photos […]