Photo: MOPS Brazil 2019 I was new to the Denver area with a three-year-old and a newborn. My family lived an hour away, but honestly, some days it felt like the moon as I was learning to navigate being a …
A Mom’s Story: Why Do I MOPS?
I MOPS because I was a mom with a toddler, a marriage looking at its tomb, and a freshly emptied womb. I was 12 weeks pregnant when I lost my second baby and gained a depression that started on my bathroom …
How To Take Your Kids To Church as a Solo Parent
Every summer I solo parent. I’m not a single parent, that’s different. Single parenting is real. Solo parenting is a strange alternate universe where I have a partner, but for six months it’s in the past: I had a husband. …
Tired Arms
My arms are so tired. I’ve hit a wall, and it’s a solid brick one that’s 4 feet wide and 70 feet high. I figured being a mom would be tiring. I counted on some sleepless nights and foggy mornings. …
Toddler Tantrums: A List of Do’s and Don’ts
So you’re going through the tantrum stage. Yikes! Tantrums come in all shapes and sizes. They often include one or more of the following: falling on the floor, screaming, crying, biting, hitting. My daughter started the tantrum stage around her …
Annoying Things You’ll Miss When Your Kids Get Older
“Time flies” may sound like a cliché, but once you have kids the phrase suddenly starts to ring true. Stepping into motherhood carries a huge responsibility, and it goes beyond simply taking care of the kids or cleaning up their …
Early Bedtime Magic
You may have seen this meme: All jokes aside, the scenario shown in this meme are expected and totally normal for young children! The ability to “sleep in” does not typically occur until later on in childhood, closer to around …
Keeping It Cool When It’s Hot: Kids’ Playtime
We’ve had some pretty hot weather recently. I don’t know about your kids, but mine are not big fans of the high heat or humidity. In fact, it kind of makes us all a little cranky (OK, not my husband, …
Never a Failure
I began my career as a high school English teacher with an unapologetically idealistic attitude about the difference I could make in my student’s lives and in Chicago’s far South Side community as a whole. After all, when you’re young …
How God Used Art and IG to Help Me Conquer Postpartum Depression
Both of my pregnancies were quickly followed by cross-country military moves and major bouts of postpartum depression. No part of you wants to meet the neighbors and find a new church home when you can’t even sleep at night or …