This Old House

I, like many other people during the pandemic, have spent a lot of time in my house lately…and I, like many other people, have found ways to improve it. Renovate, decorate, whatever terminology you choose. I know I’m not the only one because driving around my neighborhood you will find house painters, concrete mixers, pool

Year 2 and Thank You

As my kids return to school after winter break I find myself in a familiar situation checking the rising COVID numbers in our county and refreshing the school district’s COVID dashboard webpage every hour knowing damn well that those numbers do not accurately reflect the number of active COVID cases and are just a fraction

Dear Girl

A letter to my pre-pandemic self. Dear Girl, It’s December 2019 and you are living a version of your life that seems successful to the onlooker. You have two adorable babies. You just spent the first year in your new house. Your social life is active, but things are about to change abruptly and there

I Shaved My Head

“If someone had told me 5 years ago that you would have shaved your head, quit your job, and been called insubordinate, I never would have believed it” – Mat Last year, I met this woman who sported a buzzed hairstyle. Like me, she was short and brown, but her hair (or lack thereof) made

Stay at Home (Mom)

It’s been five months since I left my classroom to be at home full time with my kids. In many ways it’s exactly how I expected – I know all the details about my kids day-to-day lives. I know what they eat and how much TV they’re watching. I know their favorite games and current

Mr. Mig

On Tuesday Mat went back to school for hybrid teaching. Working from home has definitely been a struggle for some couples. Sharing the same workspace and seeing each other all day long can be exhausting. For us, it has been heavenly. We love being together with the kids all day. We consider it a fleeting

CELEBRATE

My birthday falls on the 13th of January so for me New Years has always felt a bit early for resolutions. I don’t really do resolutions. Instead, I set an intention by choosing a word that represents my hope for the year, and it makes more sense to align my intention with my upcoming year

“I’m Fine” and Other Lies We Tell

They say it takes a village to raise a child and in some very real ways it’s true. Villagers are trusted people that you rely on to babysit your kids, get together for meals, playdates, etc. Villagers are so necessary but also very tricky. I truly appreciate the villagers that come and support my family.

Time to Move On

In late September as my school was preparing to return to in-person learning, I made the heart wrenching decision to take a leave of absence for the rest of the school year. Initially, I had asked for accommodations to continue to teach from home, but I was denied. The way I saw it, I had