Real Life

Before my daughter was born, I never deceived myself into thinking that I would be a perfect model of a parent. I figured the television would babysit on occasion and fast food would be a quick solution to a...

I am about to be two-weeks out from my second shot of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. I am counting down the days until I am fully immunized. I’ve got a list to check off of the things I can’t...

I’ve seen several recent posts on some of the local Facebook groups from moms who are struggling to meet and form friendships with other moms. This is a problem I think about a lot. Lately, though, I’ve been wondering...

  We’re five months into the COVID-19 pandemic and there are no signs of it going away any time soon. (Related: wear your masks, please! It’s a simple, scientifically supported solution for slowing the spread). One of the things that has...

Being a mom is the hardest job we will ever love. In a world that is constantly moving so fast, the pressure builds. We are juggling appointments, schedules, work ... the list goes on. At the same time, the...

In small, quiet corners of my home lie abandoned hobbies, waiting in a suspended state of "you never know." In a kitchen cabinet, a stash of yarn remains from the crochet adventure of 2018 (not to be confused with...

The contractions started around 6 a.m. and my son was born at 8:08 a.m. My ten pound baby boy burst into the world without giving my body time to adjust. And that is how he has lived every day...

I'm lucky enough to have had internet friends for over 20 years, friends who will give advice—whether solicited or not. Collectively, this group seemed appalled that at 48, and living in a cloudy Midwest state, I had never had...

Most of us don’t live in multi-million dollar mansions, marry celebrities, and wear only high-end designer clothing as many of the “Real Housewives” do. Why? Because we’re the Real Moms of Johnson County! But who are we? How old are...

When the school district issued my child a Chromebook this year for the hybrid learning experience, I didn’t realize we’d also have access to every internet search that is done on the Chromebook through the school’s security program. I...