We are going to be late.

Dear Older Girl, You, the older teenage girl...you see that little ten year old girl over there? Yeah, she's a loud, moody, silly preteen girl. She's gangly, and doesn't know what to do with all the big emotions she's starting to feel. This is the time she needs you. She's not as baby cute as she was when she was four or five. It is easier to overlook her now, but please don't. She's watching you. She's wanted to be you for longer than you probably know. Try to remember six or seven years ago when you were her age. Remember how excited you felt when the older girls paid attention to you? That's where she is right now. She's stuck somewhere between a child and a teenager, in her own little purgatory. She's discovering her likes and dislikes, and getting more freedoms in the world, which can be a little scary. She needs a role model, and you're who she is watching. I'm not asking you to be her best friend, big sister, or spend every...

We've have the flu in our house recently. Yuck. One thing that always remains consistent is that having sick kids is the worst. I have never felt more helpless as I do when my kids are sick. They don't feel good, they are cranky, there isn't much you can do for them, and anything you had hoped to accomplish for the day has gone out the window. You spend your day snuggled up, or fighting a cranky alligator. There is no in between. When your kids are little a lot of times they are unable to tell you what doesn't feel good. They cannot tell you their head hurts, their tummy hurts, or their throat hurts. They cry, whine and drive you to the brink of insanity before you figure out they are running a 102 degree temperature. Then when you discover they are sick there aren't many medications you can give them. If they are old enough you can give them Tylenol and Ibuprofen for their fever. You can go to the doctor and get a prescription if appropriate. But, if they are suff...

We have an Uncle Ryan. He's really a cousin, but all my kids call him Uncle Ryan, and it fits. He's fun, gregarious and the kids L O V E him. But #2 really loves his Uncle Ryan. Even before Uncle Ryan and Aunt Elizabeth moved to Oklahoma, #2's first question anytime there was a family get together was "Is Uncle Ryan going to be there?" Uncle Ryan speaks #2 extremely well. He builds robots and boats with #2, and they have long discussions about how the world works, and I am sure that one day they will solve some major world problem. #2 takes everything Uncle Ryan tells him as  true and absolute. #2 is also a concrete thinker, so sometimes this is problematic. Recently Uncle Ryan casually told #2 that if he blotted his pizza with his napkin it would soak up the extra grease. We went out for pizza one night recently. This restaurant had cloth napkins, which is a novelty to my feral children, by my own failure. Our pizza arrived and I gave everyone a slice. We all ...

I am a habitual over-doer. I have always been that way. In years of observation I have learned I come from a family of over-doers. It used to drive me insane that my mother was never able to just sit down and chill out with the rest of the family, until I looked in the mirror one day and realized I was the exact same way. I was driving myself, and Mr. Mayer, to the brink of insanity. Last year I made a resolution to myself to do less. I was worn out, my anxiety was out of control and I didn't feel like any aspect of my life was getting the attention it deserved because I was stretched thin. It was difficult at first because I was used to having an over scheduled life that if I had free time I felt like I was missing something. The first part of the year started by me saying no to requests for parties at my house and not scheduling "get together's" or "fun activities" every weekend. The kids rebelled at first. I had created little monsters that thought we sh...