Survival Mode
I had grand plans for my second maternity leave. With twelve weeks off, I planned to reorganize and clean my house, work on some writing projects, do as many play dates as possible, and read a ton of books. Somehow, I neglected to factor in that I would be caring for...
Coronavirus and Emotions
At the end of one of my sessions last week a client asked how I was doing. “This isn’t really something they prepared you for in grad school." No, no they didn’t. None of us are prepared for this. We are not prepared for this pervasive fear for our health and the...
Shame and Self-Compassion
I was a highly anxious new mother. I had a three-ring binder where I kept notes on the pregnancy and parenting books that I read and research on the top recommended baby products. It was color coded and cross-referenced. Once my son was born, I had another notebook...
Winter
On Monday my husband took down our Christmas trees and garlands. He graciously did it while I was gone, so that I wouldn’t have to do it and wouldn’t have to watch him do it. Taking down the Christmas decorations makes me ridiculously sad. It signifies the end of...
Too Much
My youngest daughter’s favorite foods are spaghetti and cheese. Her favorite meal is spaghetti with “red sauce” and mounds of parmesan cheese on top. She always wants to put the parm on herself, and when I tell her to stop, that she’s got too much, she tells me “I...
Hurry Up
Two of my kids play soccer, and it has surprised me how much joy I find sitting on the sidelines of a soccer field on a Saturday morning. This year my son’s soccer coach would frequently shout, “Take your time buddy! You’ve got plenty of time!” It seemed like strange...
Having It All
This weekend I worked on the Biannual Changing-of-the-clothes. Twice a year I go through all of my family’s clothing. I donate some, see what fits and what doesn’t, pack up the clothes that are out of season, and pull down the clothes that are in season. On top of...
October
(This is a repost from previous Octobers) The first two times we found out that I was pregnant, we quickly told friends and family our exciting news. When we found out we were pregnant with our third child, we held it close, a happy secret shared between the...
Pro Procastination
I had two back-to-back cancellations this morning, which rarely happens. I decided to use my office hours to tackle a giant To Do list of billing and paperwork and emails that have been glaring at me for the last few weeks. This list has been niggling at the back of...
Grammar
I think of myself as a reasonably intelligent human being. But helping my ten-year-old with his homework is challenging that belief. The other day I had to look up the difference between complex and compound sentences. I am, apparently, not smarter than a 5th...