Kids

I always have a small piece of my brain on mom mode, no matter what else is happening. I have no problem with this, since that is how humanity has survived.

It’s that time of year again, time to hide from your kids in the bathroom! I mean spring break. It’s spring break!

It's so easy to sit and pass judgment on why friends or family stay “trapped” in unhappy relationships. We often wonder why she hasn’t left him/her, why can't she see that she could do much better, why can't she value her self-worth, etc.

But while it may seem like the logical thing to do, for many, it’s not so simple in reality. Many complex factors come to play, and people “stick it out” for all kinds of reasons, often at a personal price.

I see you now, and the parts of you that are me: your smile, the shape of your face, becoming an adult, becoming a person who doesn't always need their mother when they fall. I see you slowly becoming an adult, and I remember how you turned my world upside-down when I was your age.

Parenting is not easy. It’s really hard — even more so for single parents. I can only guess that parents are frustrated with being parents. I imagine it’s frustrating to watch people like me take a 2-hour nap whenever they want, when all you want is five minutes to go to the bathroom alone.

"Sharknado 3" has an especially unique moment when a human baby is born by being cut out of the side of a shark. Don’t ask questions, there’s nothing to explain.

I think that before I actually became a mom, I dreamt of sick days to be filled with breakfasts in bed, handwritten notes with all the words spelled wrong, and misshapen pancakes — but the reality is far from that dream. I'm flustered just thinking about it.

I’m full of emotions: pride, awe, fear, nerves. The spelling bee first, then the piano recital. Two different kids, same mom. Same me, wanting to prevent my boys from pain and discomfort. Same me, biting my tongue and smiling broadly in support.