Every time I walk into a bathroom used by one of my boys, I see the same thing: an un-flushed toilet. While sitting at the dinner table, one will burp and the other will laugh hysterically. I don't get it - at all! I grew up with two brothers, so you would think my tolerance level for disgusting and gross behavior would be high, instead I feel like I am being eternally punished with male grossness. I do my best with my boys to teach them manners and not be disgusting. My husband is not a “gross male”, he is very well mannered and domesticated. I would assume this is a ruse for my benefit and …

The alarm on my cell phone goes off twice a day. It reminds me that my son needs to take his asthma medicine. I receive that chime two hours before ballet, golf or a dentist appointment. I am not sure how I ever survived without my iPhone or how any parent survives without a smartphone. Convenience A smartphone can remind you of an appointment, to pay the bills, order dinner and even show you traffic reports. With how crazy our lives can be, a smartphone should be given to parents as they leave the hospital with a newborn. I once had a blackberry, which at the time was remarkable. That …

On the second day of school, I heard what every Mom hates to hear from their eight-year-old: “I don’t want to go to school.” I couldn't believe it! He had only been in school one day and I was already hearing whines of him being bored, not liking his teacher and not having friends. I was petrified that if I mishandled this one tiny bit, I could face an entire year of morning tears, fights, and drama. I am sure every child has their times where they really do not want to go to school. As my son sat on my bedroom floor crying, this was not the time to bust out “psycho Mom” and scream at him to …

The day has come. I've had small children home with me for the past eight-and-a-half years, and this all ends when my kids go back to school this week. My baby girl will be in Kindergarten and out of the house all day long, and my emotions vary from heartbroken to ecstatic.  The beginning of school can signal huge transitions in our lives. From your baby going to kindergarten to starting their senior year, it reminds us of how fast time goes. It also means back to normal schedules and back to school routines. No more late night ice cream runs or sleeping in. It is very bittersweet.  …

The last week of summer is here. Starting next Tuesday, all our children will be in school, and the long, fun days of summer are over. Moms are back to being full time chauffeurs, cooks, and school volunteers.  To not let the last week of summer slips away, I compiled a laundry list (literally, lots and lots of laundry) of all the things that have to happen this week. Not wanting to miss a moment of sun and fun, I plan to maximize this last week. I will take care of the work that must occur, but the last week should be about fun and the sun. Having to be responsible, I will begrudgingly take …

The days of summer are getting shorter, the heat is beginning to subside and high school football scrimmages are starting. Summer has been fun; we stayed up late, spent most afternoons by the pool, weekends at the beach, ate too much junk food and completely wrecked our schedules. But school starts in three weeks and it's time to pony up and get my wild children back on track. Readjusting a Broken Clock For years, all of my children went to sleep happily at 7:00 p.m. like clockwork. This routine went out the window over the summer. We stayed up excessively late and let the kids run wild. …

Can you remember the last time you went out? I don’t mean to get mediocre pizza and play arcade games at a mouse-themed restaurant. I mean out, late at night, with your girlfriends, no kids or husband? Been a while? Well, maybe it's time to plan a fun girl’s night out. The last time I went into a bar was years ago on a vacation with my sister. So, when my neighbor suggested a girl’s night out, I was hesitant. In selfless Mom world, if our family is having fun, that is all that matters. It brings us peace and contentment. When we get small moments to have fun for ourselves, we should take them…

The dog days of summer are here. Temperatures are in the 90’s every day, and the heat is a constant topic of conversation. Still, the weather has yet to stop my family from loving the outdoors and enjoying summer. How? Read on.  Stay Hydrated Keeping everyone hydrated and allowing extra rest helps beat the heat. I always take a cooler with me this time of year when we are running around. The cooler includes: Bottled water Gatorade  Chocolate milk and  Juice boxes in it.  I think chocolate milk and heat would make me want to throw up, but my six-years-old is an addict and it leaves him …

Once in a while, I seek a much needed break from my children. It may be to go out to dinner with my husband, go to a doctor’s appointment, or just get out of the house so my head doesn't explode. The problem I have is finding babysitters. Having moved a lot, and not being from this area, I do not have a long list of family and friends to pull babysitters from. I have found it takes a lot of looking to find a good, trustful sitter. I prefer younger sitters, around the ages of 13-14, because they actually play with the kids and are not distracted as much by cell phones or television. This is …

Summer is officially in full swing. It has been one month since the kids got out of school, and they still have well over another month before going back. That can only mean one thing: bored children.  By this point, many kids have maxed out their ability to sleep in late and watch television. The novelty of most things is wearing off, and now it is our job as parents to be the 24/7 entertainment committee. I love to take my kids places and do things, but like most people do not have unlimited funds. Here are some inexpensive ways my family beats the boredom. Once a week we hit the Lorton or …

The Fourth of July is one of my family’s favorite holidays. The meaning of the day is what matters most to us, and we like to have a goodtime. What better way to celebrate than lighting fireworks? It great to go somewhere and watch the really big ones (especially downtown D.C.), but lighting your own is fun for all ages and a great time for kids. There is just something nostalgic and American about July Fourth and running through your backyard with sparklers and lighting small pyrotechnics in your driveway.  There are a few things to do to make sure everyone has a safe and happy Fourth. My …

The weather is hot and sunny, the kids are full of energy, and I will now be spending every possible moment by water. My kids love to swim and hang out by the pool or at the beach. I love to swim and hang out by the pool or beach. It is a perfect match for everyone. For the next three months my family will spend every possible waking moment lounging, swimming, diving, snorkeling, and floating possible. Here are my top five things I always take to the pool or beach to make our trip easy and successful for everyone. Sunblock: This is pretty obvious, but preventing sunburns and protecting skin …

I always have moments with my children when I cannot take anymore. They refuse to brush their teeth, make their beds, or put their clothes on. Then I utter one of the most cliched phrases in all of parenting: “Wait until I tell your father.” It is the Holy Grail of threats. I know it is not a virtuous parenting tool, but it works amazingly well.  It blows me away that my threat even works. I am the hot-blooded, quick to anger parent. My husband is completely chill and would probably let the kids burn the house down before he suggested they might want to think about possibly not letting them …

Spring break is behind us and we only have eight more weeks until summer vacation. Now is the time to pick the day camps where you will be sending your children. There are endless options here and the choices can be overwhelming. I was amazed when I started looking into it for my children. Here are the things I used to make my kids camp selections for them this summer. The first thing I looked at was the cost. Some local camps cost over $500 a week. Unfortunately, with three kids, I have to choose and cannot afford to spend several thousand dollars a month on camps. To accommodate my kids’ …

Every few weeks my children come home with a little envelope in their backpacks informing me that another birthday is being thrown for one of their classmates. It seems kids parties are going over the top. What used to be a small celebration at home has grown into a huge industry of entertainment. Parents are dropping hundreds of dollars to celebrate their child’s birthday. I am guilty of this myself, and wonder why we feel the need to throw huge birthday parties for our kids. My children’s birthdays fall in April, May, and June. By the time we get to the last birthday, it’s hard to muster up…

On any given day there are six to twelve kids storming through my house, crawling through windows, and emptying my pantry. While this could drive any mother crazy, and has almost put me over the edge a few times, I would not have it any other way. I know the key to keeping the kids at my house is entertaining, mediating, and feeding. This helps make my house the central hangout and keeps my brood under my watchful eye. My preference for children being entertained would be that the entertainment take place outside. There is no reason kids cannot enjoy the greater outdoors 90 percent of the …