Monday motherhood: the week’s empty nest

November 18, 2013 By Jo 5 Comments

My three siblings who have children all experienced an empty nest in the past few years, my brother just recently. I can barely talk to them about it because I love a full house and can’t imagine the deafening silence that will ensue once the girls have flown the coop. On an itty-bitty scale, let’s talk about Mondays. We’re in an excellent place right now with our kids. Regarding the delicate years around puberty (as bad a word as penis and vagina, I think), Goldie is happily on the other … [Read more...]

Wednesday words: I coulda been a contender

November 6, 2013 By Jo 10 Comments

All my life I've been a deep thinker and it's gotten me nowhere. Yesterday morning, we started off poorly in the Neil household. It was Miss T's birthday and I'd disappointed her. I won't go into the reasons why and they were ultimately fixed, but on top of her sadness, Goldie was upset to hear I couldn't go to her last freshman volleyball game. I hung my head, confused at their perceived shortcomings in my mothering abilities. I really am doing the best I can. Regardless, I drove Miss T … [Read more...]

Monday motherhood: DNA, blame and credit

October 28, 2013 By Jo 5 Comments

God bless those who adopt. I’ve always thought myself too egocentric to raise a child with someone’s genes other than my own (and the husband’s). Of course, conceiving wasn’t a problem for me (and isn’t necessarily the reason parents adopt) so alternative ways to have a family were never discussed. And still, there are issues regarding biological versus adopted children that go both ways, namely – blame and credit. I suppose I wanted to accept both. Miss T and Bun Bun are naturally gifted … [Read more...]

Parents, judge not, lest ye can’t help yourself

October 23, 2013 By Jo 5 Comments

I can’t. Early on in motherhood, I realized how important it was not to judge how others were raising their children. I thought no one really knew the dynamic of parent and child except the parent and child themselves. That little boy with questionable social skills who used to walk around the jungle gym half spaced-out? Diagnosed with Asperger’s. The sullen teammate who sat on the sidelines and refused to participate? Turns out she has a severely disabled sibling. It doesn’t take much … [Read more...]

Monday motherhood: the rear view mirror (or the first day of high school)

August 19, 2013 By Jo 12 Comments

This could just as easily be a quick, obligatory Facebook post, something like “Guess who’s starting high school?” accompanied by an adorable photo of Goldie in her bright, shiny uniform. But wait, I have a blog. Let’s draw it out some and try to answer a basic question: “How the hell did this happen?!” The principal at Goldie’s high school is slightly disabled physically and so her speech is halting, which results in keen articulation that makes you sit up and really listen. Her thoughts are … [Read more...]

Monday motherhood: another return, a lunch-time epiphany

August 5, 2013 By Jo 10 Comments

Where were we? I received a text two weeks ago from my sister, informing me that she couldn’t access an old recipe on Daily Cup of Jo because the site was gone! Poof! “I’m sad,” she wrote. For me, it was sorrow mixed with fear, as if a small animal had found itself inside my abdomen (don’t know how it got there), and kicked really hard. The sadness was a reaction to feeling that the part of me (the Daily Cup part) separate from my life as a chauffeur and chef to three children, was over. … [Read more...]

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