Notes to My Loves

S uperheros have super powers. This is something that is accepted without question. Superman can fly.  NO problem. He can freeze things with his super breathe. Got it! We don't judge him for the bright spandex he wears.      The Flash is wicked fast. If you need a buddy to help you out, he is the one to call.  We don't judge him for reacting too fast.      The Hulk, well, his power is a little on the wild side, but we are fine with it. We don't recommend anger management or group therapy. We don't even judge the green color makeup he chooses to don when angry. Tame the beast? No, he is alright with us.      Spiderman, being bit by a radioactive spider, and being able to spin webs able to carry the weight of a two ton truck? Absolutely. We don't gossip about him spinning one too many webs. And who hasn't seen a radioactive spider?  I am sure there are a few right now lurking in my basement.     Surely we can't ov...

 "It takes a village". We have all heard that phrase that is touted as an African proverb. I admit that when I was in the pre-parenthood phase of my life, I disagreed with it. Why would I need other people to help me raise my child? If I couldn't step up and do this on my own then I had no right to be bringing a child into the world. This young creature was my flesh and my responsibility. Period. Then I had a baby and all that "I don't need a village" crap went right out the window, along with napping, going to the bathroom in peace, being able to form a complete thought, and fitting back into my pre-preggie pants. The truth is, all across the globe, women help each other in motherhood. Villagers help each other. From the rice paddies of Thailand to the mountainous regions of Tibet. In the hills of North Dakota to the winding river Nile. Women are woven together like a maternal tapestry that spans generations and geographic locations. We rely on each oth...

Before I was a parent I judged. I judged a lot. I listened to how children whined in stores and vowed that mine would have a good “ thing coming to them ” if they dared have that type of attitude. I saw boys with shorts on during cold weather and wanted to take them home with me. I wondered what type of parent they had not looking out for their child’s skin on a chilly day. I looked at houses of friends with small children and wondered why they couldn’t see the grimy dirt on bathroom walls, or manage to keep the clutter contained. What were these people thinking? Before I was a parent, I made promises I couldn’t keep. My children would have home cooked meals each night for dinner. We would routinely bake cookies for no special reason and our Christmas cookies would ROCK! In addition,  I would make sure to not be “THAT” parent who scrounges to get last minute supplies for school projects. I vowed that my kids would be in bed promptly by 8 each and every night o...