parenting - Life on the Road Less Traveled

October 27, 2008

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Mighty Mom Monday: “Eek! Mom, Not the Eyebrows!”

Happy Monday! Every Monday is a happy Monday at EMN … thanks to Sarah (A.K.A. “Mighty Mom.”) Check out her blog at “My Wonderful Life” No MOM!!! Not my EYEBROWS!! So, Subvet was gone providing parkinglot security for the Saturday night Mass and as per the instructions he left, I fed the hooligans&hooliganette pizza for supper. Now, the boys performed their usual magic trick flawlessly, not a bit of pizza left to be found after 2.4 seconds. Sugars’ pizza, however, put up a fight. Apparently it did NOT want to be disappeared and, from the looks of things, fought tooth and nail against such treatment. […]

October 20, 2008

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Mighty Mom Monday: Just Say “No” to Mommy Guilt!

As is our custom here at EMN, today’s post is from the hilarious life experience of Sarah, A.K.A. “Mighty Mom.” Be sure to check out her blog at “My Wonderful Life.” The number-one toughest thing about being a Mom is the colossal amount of GUILT that we carry. I’m not talking about simple regret, about things that I just wish I’d done different … I’m talking about true, haunt-your-dreams, cry in your pillow guilt. Now, friends. Here’s my advice to you: Just Say NO to Mommy Guilt! To help you gain perspective and win the battle, I’m gonna share with you things that I’ve felt […]

October 3, 2008

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Lessons from the Littlest Women: Guest Post by Sylvia Dorham

Sylvia Dorham is one of my favorite writers at CE … while I was editing “Canticle,” I begged her to let our readers benefit from her gifted wordsmithing. Today her column was a poignant reminder of how even young girls are “hardwired” for our vocation to motherhood — no matter how many Tonka Trucks are put in our hands. Whether or not we give birth, that deep-rooted desire to love, to nurture, to relate is evident from our earliest years. Did you have a favorite doll — or a favorite “doll story” to share? Lessons from the Littlest Women Posted using ShareThis

September 20, 2008

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What Military Families Wished You Knew: Guest Post from “Pops”

I’d like to welcome a friend of Mighty Mom’s, “Pops,” who generously responded to my call for an article about military families. As you can see, Pops is abundantly qualified to write on the subject … and I am so grateful to give EMN the benefit of his expertise! Hi, they call me Pops, I must thank Heidi for giving me the honor and privilege of posting on the Extraordinary Mom’s Network. I would like to take a moment to tell you about me and my family. I am the son of a World War II veteran who is the son of a World […]

September 8, 2008

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Mighty Mom Monday: “10 Special Blessings”

When a family finds out that one of its members has special needs, it can be easy to panic. Some couples even go so far as to contemplate abortion when they find out they are carrying a Down Syndrome or other special needs child (or, worse, go through with that terrible choice). In today’s guest post, contributing writer “Mighty Mom” shares ten ways that she and her husband have benefitted from their special needs kids (SNKs). 10) They make me laugh. – It’s true, every day. for example. My oldest has a speech delay (among other things). One day out of the blue he started walking around saying “I’m […]

September 6, 2008

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Happy Grandparents’ Day!

In 1978, President Jimmy Carter declared the first Sunday after Labor Day National Grandparents Day. Have you hugged a grandparent today? The September 2008 issue of Metro Parent has an article about how the role of grandparents has changed in contemporary society. According to AARP: * 1 in 12 children lives in a home headed by a grandparent, * In Michigan, 5.5% of children live with a grandparent-caregiver, * 73% of custodial grandparents are under the age of 60, * 33% live in a home without the grandchild(ren)’s parent, and * 14% live in poverty. Of the 70,044 grandparents who are raising their grandchildren … […]

September 1, 2008

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Taking the Hooligans to Mass: Guest Post by Sarah (a.k.a. “MightyMom”)

In lieu of an actual Carnival this month, I’d like to introduce you to Sarah, a.k.a. “MightyMom,” who blogs over at “My Wonderful Life.” A mom with three children, two with special needs, she never seems to lose her perspective … or sense of humor. Enjoy! It’s quite the adventure. Let me tell you about it. But first, a few introductions. I’m MightyMom, a Pediatric Nurse, a teething ring, a wife, a jungle gym, a mother, a burro, and I was a lifelong Methodist until 3 months ago when I discovered that the Methodist church is actively pro-choice on a national level. Since then I have taken the […]

August 13, 2008

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Memento Mori

There is nothing quite like the deaths of two friends — both of whom were just my age, one of whom left behind a five-year-old son — within a single month to make a person take stock. The early Christians had an expression: Memento Mori (remember death). This was not a morbid preoccupation with the Grim Reaper, but a mindset that helped the Christian to evaluate all of life with an eye on that which is of ultimate value: Family. Relationships. God. Heaven.

May 31, 2008

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Tips for Helping Your Child Cope with Stress

This week at CatholicMom.com, I recount a story about Christopher. The stressors of his world … his school work, his piano lessons, his home work, and the changes that are part-and-parcel of the end of the year… were creating a short fuse. This post is short and sweet, because I’d like to open it to you, my readers. Have you ever been through a particularly stressful time with your grade schooler, and what did you do to help him or her through it? Also, if your child has been taking music lessons, what do you do to help your child get practice time in — […]