At the dinner table the other night my youngest children began to tell me about how they were looking for images to use as their school email avatar. Realizing how quickly my children have advanced in this age of technology, I was proud and amused at the same time. Until they mentioned how they wanted a particular picture and the method in which they obtained the image online. I Googled Mom, they said.
Continue reading “I Googled Mom”Figure it Out and Don’t Call Me
My jaw literally dropped when I heard the words from Bill Hybels. Sitting in a crowded worship center with The Chad and a couple of our friends, I was overcome with vindication. Screaming in my head, “YES! YES! My God, YES!” The Global Leadership Summit was speaking my truth, my life, suddenly everything came into focus and the validation was freeing. Continue reading “Figure it Out and Don’t Call Me”
Teaching Kids about Credit
The Chad and I are very transparent parents; we want to ensure our children are well educated about adult topics and life experiences, even at a young age. As children, many of us, including The Chad and I, were not taught about credit, handling money, or finances. I learned by proxy with my father as the banker, my mother broke her arm when I was a teen so I was left to write her checks, balance her checkbook, manage the household finances and do the grocery shopping. Not all children have that experience. With our children we wanted to explain to them the importance of proper budgeting, living within your means, and the ever heavy burden of credit debt. Continue reading “Teaching Kids about Credit”
e Parenting
Having children and raising children is such an evolutionary, day-by-day event. I always think of the quote by Mike Tyson in relation to having children; “everyone has a plan until they’re punched in the face.” Think about it. We all have some set of ideals on how we should parent or raise children. Telling ourselves with our spouses, “I will raise my kids like this,””I will not raise my kids the way my parents did,” so on and so forth. Then life really throws you a curve ball of reality which causes your axis to shift from what you planned, to what do you plan to do now. Continue reading “e Parenting”
My Open Letter to be Better
Driving home the other day from the gym I saw a care center bus that said “Kids-R-Kids” and couldn’t help to feel a bit perturbed. What was troublesome is that we often discount children’s behaviors as “just being kids” without needed corrective action. Sometimes these behaviors can be shrugged off, while others need extraordinary attention. Continue reading “My Open Letter to be Better”
Summer Fun with Krazy Air
A few years ago a new sports type facility opened up in our neighborhood here in Mesa, AZ. The place is called Krazy Air. What the heck is Krazy Air, I thought, as I drove by the facility. Well, low and behold, the business is the joy I had experienced as a child, a sea of trampolines to bounce around on. As temperatures heat up here in Phoenix, we all head indoors for summer fun, Krazy Air is offering some crazy fun this summer at their facility. We as a family have spent many a birthday parties and afternoons at the facility to wear out the kids and just have an all around awesome time. I mean, who wouldn’t want to jump on indoor trampolines? Continue reading “Summer Fun with Krazy Air”
The New Mom Smell
This month one of my dearest friends had her very first child. I could not be more elated for her and her fiance. I could not be more ecstatic that she has been reaching out to me for advice as she maneuvers the road of motherhood. In all of our talks what I have found is how our society has created an environment where they prepare us to be a parent in every clinical and technical sense. These parenting classes sell all the beauty and excitement of the new mom smell. Yet all of these parenting classes, coaching, and boot camps fail to prepare parents, especially moms, for the emotional gauntlet that they run in their first hours, days, weeks (and beyond) of becoming a mother. Continue reading “The New Mom Smell”
Mathnasium of Gilbert
Understanding the Mathnasium Method
There’s no shortage of learning methods available to children. This is great since all children learn in different ways. However, one learning method that has proven to be the most effective is Mathnasium. For a number of years, this learning method has changed the way that kids appreciate and understand math. It has become so effective that many learning centers have popped up all over, such as the Mathnasium of Gilbert. Here’s a quick look at the idea behind Mathnasium. Continue reading “Mathnasium of Gilbert”
Manners – The Greek Language
This past weekend my G celebrated his 13th birthday. I am still in denial that my baby faced boy is slowly becoming a man-child. With his celebration came his ideas to celebrate, he handled the planning while The Chad and I executed on his behalf. So we rallied the food, the cake, the custom invitations and we managed the RSVP. The intention of his party was to be very low-key. Pokemon Go, pizza, swimming and movie by the pool were his itinerary. We couldn’t be more happy for our man-child. What we weren’t expecting were unhappy attendees with manners of a farm hog. Apparently manners are like the Greek language to one child who attended. Or manners were a dead language or one that evolved into entitled demands and not a single thank you. Continue reading “Manners – The Greek Language”
Growing Up is Hard to Do
Adulting is a real pain in my neck. Really, a pain in my ass, but neck works too because you use your neck for so much more. I digress. Growing up and evolving into an adult, learning the hard knocks of life, understanding who I am as a human, person, and being in this world and then learning the ways of the world has been a struggle. If memory serves I was very anxious to grow up when I was a child, as if growing up was my spiteful way of getting back at my parents. Boy, did I get that idea all wrong. What I wish I knew then is that growing up is hard to do; if I could tell my younger self anything, the one tidbit that is gold is that becoming an adult was a real son of a gun. Continue reading “Growing Up is Hard to Do”