Thankful he’s home. Thankful we had support.

Tonight was a big night for us. Our son plays trombone and is in his (Texas) high school marching band. And, our daughter had a birthday sleepover across town. Side Bar: I’ve been told that Americans implicitly understand that it’s a big deal to be in a Texas high school marching band, which is why […]

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After In-Patient Stay – A Caregiver’s Task List

We’ve been home a week. And yes, I’m so thankful (so so thankful) hubby was well enough to be discharged. And yes, I much prefer sleeping in my bed to sleeping in a hospital ICU recliner. And yes, the commute, parking fees, and unlimited snacking have taken a toll on my wallet and waistline. But […]

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I Didn’t Want My Kids to See Their Dad in the ICU. They Changed My Mind.

It’s weird being a mom. We’re supposed to know all the things, but these two hooligans teach me something new every day. Sometimes it’s about trombones and spittoons or ballet positions, sometimes it’s about calculus or Texas history, and some days it’s about how they need me to parent them. This last hospitalization was scary […]

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Can A New Normal After Illness Still Be A Good Life?

If I let myself, I could spiral to places no one should ever have to go. The truth is, being a caregiver is just too unpredictable for my tiny lizard brain. And if I’m not actively managing my intrusive thoughts with ‘healthy’ coping mechanisms – therapy, writing, sharing with people who love me/us, and accepting […]

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So the Hard Days Aren’t All They Remember

One day, in the distant or not to distant future, our kids may decide to read through this blog. They know I’m a writer, they’ve observed me writing for the blog, and they’ve both scrolled through my images on IG and FB where I post links. Admittedly, I always try to write with them in […]

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How We Reduce Expectant Disappointment

When we solidify plans to do something fun, our very first impulse is to share that information with our kids. More than anything, we love to see the joyfulness they exude when something delights them. We want to share every bit of happiness with them – because we adore them and they are at their […]

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How we try to mitigate the emotional toll of childhood caregiving

To say that I have the best children in the entire world is an understatement. Because I do. I think most parents have moments of clarity where we recognize that our children are incredible human beings, becoming who they are meant to be right before our eyes. You know, between the sleepless nights of babyhood […]

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This all feels familiar – and it isn’t all bad

Caregivers will tell you that for us, living through this pandemic is oddly similar to the way we live our regular lives. Caregivers are acutely aware of how the world around us may impact the health, well being, and safety of the people for whom we love and provide care. For some of us, it […]

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How We’ve Built Child Rearing Around Empathy

I firmly believe that children are born with much of their personality intact. I look at my two littles and think (often) that they couldn’t be more different from one another personality-wise, and yet – born and raised by the same two parents in much of the same manner. One aspect of their character development […]

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