The random misadventures of a (formerly)Single Super Mom

One of my many nicknames is Chocolate Mary Poppins. It was given to me YEARS ago by a tiny blonde haired, blue eyed tot named Gretchen.  I watched her for the very first time and as I was on my way home, my phone rang.  It was Gretchen's mom.  I picked up the phone and she was laughing so hard I initially thought she was crying. I thought..."They were alive when I left!  I thought they had a great time! I swear I didn't break them!!"  It turns out the conversation after I left went like this.. In the bathtub... G: Mama, do we have any chocolate? M: I think so, why?  G: I just want to know how many chocowate baws I have to eat before I can get bwown like Ms. Mewissa... M: Honey... I don't think there is enough chocolate in the world for that... Thus... Chocolate Mary Poppins was Born... In over 30 years watching literally hundreds of children, I have never encountered a toy of evil like I did tonight. I had 2 8 year old girls and one almo...

I looked on my Facebook memories this week, and last year I was at the funeral of the son of a friend of mine.  It was one of the most unorthodox yet hopeful services I've ever attended.  My friend's son had a long struggle with mental illness and took his own life.  No matter how hard people tried to help him, it just wasn't enough to conquer his demons.  He left a hole behind that will never be filled, and I struggle every day to make sense of the deaths of so many like him.  I have 2 friends, both with sons that had the same first name, both boys took their own lives within 6 months of each other, and both boys struggled so hard against the demons that ultimately won. My daughter came home yesterday and she has been struggling lately with her mental health.  The world is a much more difficult one than I grew up with, and while the challenges are similar, the world itself is so different.  We are bombarded with images left and right of how horri...

"Mom, there is a shooter at my school".  That is the last text message ANY parent wants to hear.  Ever.  And we hear it way too often.  I live in Charlotte, North Carolina and the past two weeks have been hell.  5 shootings and 3 fatalities on a Sunday.  A gunman opens fire on the University of North Carolina Campus.  Every single day it seems we see another child die.  And another. And another.  And another.  I will never forget where I was when Sandy Hook happened.  I cried so hard I made myself sick, vomiting in the bathroom because I felt like my heart had been ripped out through my chest.  We swore "never again".  Yet it happened again, and again, and again.  Almost once a week it happens. I don't know what the answer is.  I honestly don't.  I know that we as a culture will not give up the right to bear arms.  I know we won't do what New Zealand did.  But I don't know what we are willing...

I have written about my family more than anything else, because they are what makes me who I am.  They are the reason I get up in the morning. The reason I breathe every day.  The first thing on my mind when I wake up, and the last thing on my mind when I fall asleep. I am extremely lucky to have loving parents, incredible siblings, a (now) great husband and two of the most amazing kids on the planet. Being a mother is one of the most defining parts of who I am.  It's the biggest part of my heart.  Even though my kids are technically adults, being their mom will never stop. I'll never stop worrying about them, even though they can take care of themselves.  Over the last 6 years, being a part of a FIRST Robotics team made me a "mom" in other ways.  40-50 high school students every year have been a big part of my life, and I have been lucky to inspire them and to let them know that they always have a "safe space" with me. When something happens to your ch...

Fall is upon us and with it, the rise of Pumpkin Spice everything.  This Basic Becky flavor has permeated everything from breakfast cereal to coffee and even dog treats.  I have seen the some of the worst pumpkin spice abominations in the world and all I ask myself is "WHYYYYY! WHY HAVE THE FOOD GODS FORSAKEN US!!!"  America, (because you damn well know the rest of the world hasn't jumped on this fall foolery), there is such a point that you need to just STOP THE MADNESS.  https://www.delish.com/food-news/g3649/gross-pumpkin-spice-products/ https://mashable.com/2017/09/17/worst-pumpkin-foods/#_zbbiVR0Ysqw I'm here to tell you, there is another contender for fall foods.  That often misunderstood tuber that people think is only good for one thing. The Sweet Potato.  The lowly sweet potato has been maligned and taken for granted.  Nutritionally, the pumpkin has less calories and sugar, but WHO EATS PUMPKIN. I don't see people chopping up a pum...

As I sit here and look at all of the people posting pictures of their kids going off to college and how sad they are, I remember when I did that very same thing. I remember all of the milestones, all of the firsts, and how there aren't going to be as many firsts anymore. The first day of kindergarten when you swear they are too small to be left alone with these huge kids and all of the teachers and omg why can't they just stay home another year? I mean, we don't need electricity right??? Kindergarten Graduation... I CAN'T EVEN WITH THIS. The first day of middle school when you realize they're big kids but NOT TOO BIG OMG THOSE 8TH GRADERS ARE HUGE STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY BABY!!! 8th and 5th Grade Graduations....little did I know... Their first heartbreak.... I still stand by wanting to fight a second grader when she broke my baby's heart.  But I digress..... The first day of high school where you flash back to the first day of middle school an...

For those who know me, I have been very open about my weight loss journey.  It wasn't something that started overnight, it took a long time to get to the point that I am at.  I was never a "small" child, just average.  When I hit puberty I started to gain weight but it didn't keep me from doing anything that I wanted to do.  I still played sports, hung out with friends, had a job at the mall...my weight didn't "define" me as a person. I went off to college for a while and my weight went up as most college girls' does, but not incredibly.  What I hadn't noticed was the small increments that my weight had been rising steadily over time and affecting my health in ways I never could imagine.  I was eventually diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and my metabolism was almost non existent.  I was carrying almost 300 pounds on a 5"1 body and I was dying. Wow. TBT.  I made the medical decision to get weight loss surgery in 2007 and I don...