childhood

It’s Okay To Be Bored

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Picture yourself in a small white house, in a pink room with white wicker furniture, lying on a bedspread covered in a signature 1990’s rose pattern.  You are 7 years old.  Your best friend can’t come over this weekend, you are sick of the same old toys, you’ve been staring at your ceiling fan for 20 minutes, and you are bored out of your little mind.  You walk into your parents’ room and desperately proclaimed, “I. Am. So. BORED!”

Then, she looks at you.  The classic Mom look, her gigantic glasses reflecting back at you with a confident smirk.  She knows exactly what to say.  “If you’re bored, I’m sure I can find something for you to do.” Continue reading →

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Friendship and Self Care

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So, I haven’t mentioned this amazing visit yet because a huge part of it was the fact that my husband was gone for several weeks hiking the Appalachian Trail.  That is a story in itself, but it is important to mention as this blog is about nurturing friendships and providing self care-specifically when your world has been temporarily flipped upside down.  I was excited for Rick to live out a dream of his and having young children with easy schedules made this one of the few appropriate times of our life to go on such a wild adventure.  So…just to set the scene…Sarah, my BFF since childhood knew I was going to have some long weekends without my husband and planned a rescue visit for a long weekend in June.

I’ve blogged about Sarah before here.  We’ve known each other since we were four.  She has since moved to Durham where she works as a pediatric acute care nurse practitioner because she is BOSS.  To me, though, she’s just Sawah.  And I’m just Rebecca.  And we’re just the same kids we’ve always been, but with grown up jobs and homes and husbands and all that weird stuff.  Here is a picture of us from childhood to remind you that we weren’t always the perfect goddesses we are today: Continue reading →

Mother Of Two

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Isn’t it weird how we’re always in some specific phase of life that we don’t exactly acknowledge until it’s passed?  That sentence felt complicated.  What I mean, though, is kind of complicated.  Okay, so right now, I have two kids, right?  Yes.  Yes, I do.  I am aware of that, but because I am going through this right now, it’s hard to appreciate it.  There are the little moments when Jack is sweetly talking to Juliet that I can stop and step outside of myself and see that I am so lucky.  These are moments I’m sure I’ll have to remind myself of when they both get a little older and start liking each other a little less. Continue reading →

Our First and Last Disney Trip As A Family of Three

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Have a kid, tell everyone you’re going to take them to Disney before they’re three, then take them.  That’s the moment you’ll realize how fast time flies.  It is insane that we are already here.  We are home from Disney with another little Disney freak on the way.  The next time Rick and Jack and I are at Disney together will be when Baby Devens is almost three and it will be here before we know it.

I’m always pretty obnoxious about appreciating each little moment, but this pregnancy has made it so much worse.  I am not in a hurry at all this go round where as last time, I just couldn’t wait to meet our new baby.  I know that our life as we know it will never be the same just as it was with Jack, and I want to savour the time we have before Jack becomes a big brother and Rick and I become equally matched in tiny humans.   Continue reading →

How My Weird Day Led Me To My Grandparents’ Graves

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Today was so weird, ya’ll.  I was traveling for work and just wasn’t in the mood.  I’d been driving in the middle of nowhere for hours with no cell phone service and limited radio options.  Just when I decided to just go home and give up on today, I saw a sign: Americus 10 miles.  The town that I practically grew up in.  The town where my grandparents used to live.  Just ten little miles?  I had to go drive by the old house. Continue reading →

Why We All Love Fuller House Even Though It Is The Worst

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Poor acting, worse writing, and cheesy plotlines.  Fuller House might be one of the worst shows I’ve ever seen.  It isn’t funny, and so far-the kids have faced ZERO consequences to their actions.  At only three episodes in, DJ’s oldest son has run away.  Under the encouragement of Uncle Joey, all four kids have poured green slime all over the foyer with absolutely no “Danny Tanner life lesson” moments discussing ruining private property, or even a simple “WHO’S GOING TO CLEAN UP THIS MESS!?” from DJ, the new head-of-household.   Continue reading →

Mental Illness Is My Mother: An Anonymous Guest Post

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A few weeks ago, a friend of mine sent me the following personal essay.  It was originally published on stigmafighters.com.  She asked me to share this because sharing our stories has great power.  Talking about our struggles can help heal one another, and reduce stigma.  If you have overcome your childhood, this writer wants you to know, you are not alone.

Mental Illness Is My Mother by Anonymous: Continue reading →

The Nostalgia Of The Hawkinsville Opera House: Bringing Back Our Childhood

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FullSizeRender (8)Just driving by the Hawkinsville Opera House hits me hard with sweet nostalgia.  Whether attending events or participating in them, The Opera House provided me with something I will always cherish: a genuine love for the arts.  Backstage or stage center, putting on a show was one of the most fulfilling activities of my entire life.  Hearing the audience laugh during a funny part of The Music Man or give a standing ovation after a great show gave me (the girl with one line in the entire show) a sincere feeling of accomplishment.  Even a small part was important because a town scene could only be perceived as so with multiple bodies.  Each one doing its own job.  You wipe windows.  You hold a basket.  You talk to your friend like you’re gossiping.  All the pieces came together.  The curtains went up and down when they should.  The lighting crew knew exactly when Ms. Marion would be walking out.  Beautiful sets were built and positioned appropriately.  It was a well-oiled machine.  Not one person wasn’t important for its success. Continue reading →

God Never Said Life Would Be Easy

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In the midst of another tragedy, the age old question is recirculating: “Why does God let bad things happen?”  If God is real and great and powerful, why does He just sit back and watch as our lives take what seem like meaningless, harsh twists and turns?  Why did He let my grandmother get Alzheimer’s?  Why did He let my friend get murdered?  Why did He allow 9/11?  Why did He let a psychopath go through with a mass shooting?  Why does He allow a woman carry a baby and then let it be born without a heartbeat? Continue reading →

Flowcharts For Toddlers

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After hearing myself say to my son, “No.  We don’t put our hand in the dog’s butt.” and posting said statement on Facebook, I was inspired by my friend Amber to figure out a way to help toddlers answer the more difficult questions in life.  Often, when saying to Jack, “Don’t lick that!” or “We don’t show our belly button to total strangers, darling.”, he has a very confused expression on his face.  So, after way too much time figuring out how to create flowcharts on free online software, I give you: Flowcharts for Toddlers.  The following should be helpful for your child when a challenging situation arises.  Good luck!

Continue reading →