Story time…

So I have a little boy who is 12 yo and he is autistic. His most favorite thing in the whole world is swimming in our modest above ground pool.

Lately the wasps have returned with a vengence! Like were there ever this many

My little dude is completely petrified of them! And now he’s scared if going in the pool They are heartless bastards, you can’t change my mind don’t try. My evidence he’s (little dude) been stung 4 times. He wouldn’t hurt a bacteria! He’s the sweetest most gentle and kind little boy. He’ll hug a person he’s just met. He will shower you with kisses and hugs. He is sweet like diabetic SWEET.

YES WASPS ARE BASTARDS!

Ok so what can mama bear do?

I can crochet

Mom to the rescue!

So I spent two afternoons and I came up with my own design for this super simple crochet pattern! Now I’ll have these hanging EVERYWHERE.

Wasps are bastards I know you agree but they are pollinators, so they have some redeeming qualities. This is the perfect thing to deter them and it works!!! No risky spraying (booo unnecessary chemicals) they just buzz off!

If you’d like the crochet pattern you can find it here:

All proceeds go to movie candy for the Saturday night family movie ♥️

Hornet Nest Decoy pattern by Jennifer Juniper

☁️☁️

C-section

Since April is a C-section awareness month I thought I would share my experience. My son was born “naturally” after the world’s best pregnancy. My pregnancy with my daughter 3 years later was anything but easy. I was sick for most of it and at my 38 week appointment I got news that she was breech. Lack of breath that I thought was from her butt being in my rib cage was actually her head. I was scheduled for a version procedure the next day. I showed up and did another ultrasound and my little flipper was in the right spot! A few days later however she was breech again. I was admitted into the hospital and had 3 versions, yes 3. After the last one they actually tied bed sheets around my belly to keep her in place. I was induced, they broke my water. Labor lasted for 2 days but felt like weeks. 3 epidurals, 2 days of contractions, I was so weak and only at 9.5 centimeters. I was told that I had to wait until I was at 10 to push. Hours went by and my body was done. I was told that my daughter’s head was stuck and I would need an emergency C-section. They rolled me away and handed scrubs to my husband. I have never had surgery before, I’m not good with pain. I had chills to the point that my hands were shaking. I cried the whole time. When they allowed my husband to be by my side I made him promise to tell our son that mama loves him in case something happens. Yes I know a bit dramatic but in that moment I really thought that I might die. I didn’t see my baby first but I heard her cry. They weight her, measured her height and only then wrapped her up and handed her to my husband. He held her by my head and I finally met the little lady that’s been renting out my belly for the past 9 months. She was beautiful, our little Eleanor. My husband held her for the rest of my surgery. They rolled me into the recovery room and I was in and out for most of the night. I was in so much pain. When I would ask about the baby I was told that she’s in the nursery so that I can rest. The next day I finally held my child. I thought that if I tried to stand up my insides would just fall out of my stomach. I know how crazy that sounds but I really thought that the scar would rip. I never understood how important skin to skin was with a baby until that day. I didn’t get to have that with her and even though she was mine I didn’t feel connected. I had to have my husband be the one to pick her up and hand her to me, I felt so helpless. What kind of mother can’t pick up her own baby? She would cry and my husband would whisper sweet nothings in her ear and she would stop. To this day I know she feels safe with him, she knows his hands were the first real touch that she had, she knows his smell and voice. I already had a child and I loved him so much I wondered if my heart could love her too. I was worried that maybe my son would feel like he’s missing out with the new baby getting all the attention. He surprised me and embraced the role of big brother since day one. I learned that time really does heal all things and the scar that I thought would split open is still intact. The baby that I didn’t feel connected to is almost 2 and is the most amazing little girl. She can light up any room and her laugh is contagious. My heart made room for her and I can honestly say I love both my kids the same. People that think having a C-section is the easy way out probably never had one, so please keep your opinions to yourself. And to all the moms that have the scar- you are superstars! It doesn’t matter how you became a mother, natural birth or C-section what matters is how you raise your kids.

enough

Motherhood is hard. No one warns you about how challenging and stressful it is. No matter how organized you are or how well you plan, the laundry will never be caught up and there will be days that you just want to get in your car and drive off a cliff. When I get home from work, I always need a few minute to unwind and change into comfy clothes. Now imagine trying to do that and hearing “mama, when can I do that? When can I do this? Can you buy me that? What’s for dinner?”. All while someone is hugging your leg. Privacy going to the bathroom is nonexistent when you become a mom. Constant feeling of not being good enough, guilt of working too much, spending too much time on my phone are all things I battle with daily. Irritation of having to repeat myself 17 times about cleaning their room, putting on shoes, eating all their meals, brushing their teeth is another challenge. I’m sure it seems like I don’t like being a mother, sometimes that is true. I hate to admit that but I have to be honest, it’s hard. I love my kids more than anything but at times I feel like when I became a mom I lost myself. I lost my independence, ability to say yes when friends ask to go out, going out to dinner with my husband or simply watching a movie. On days when life gets to me and I lose my will to keep going I know I have to get out of bed and keep going. My babies are counting on me, they are my motivation to do better, to keep going to a job that I hate until I find something else. I want to be a good mom, I want them both to grow up and look back on their childhood and only have good memories. I want them to never question my love for them. I wish mental health was as easy to fix as a broken bone, put a cast on it. On the bad days when I let my anxiety win being a mom is 100 times harder. The amount of weight I have on my chest that there are times they don’t get the best version of me is hard to accept. The crazy part is that they accept me. To them I am mom. To them I am not the 34 year old that is still “trying” to buy a house, not a stressed out woman that hates her job, not the irritated individual, I am their mom. The one that comforts them before bed time, kisses all the boo boos, supports their dreams, saves all their artwork and cheers the loudest at all the games. They love me for the simple fact that I am their mom and that is enough, I am enough. 1/19/2022

JJK

Last night as I was trying to get my son to fall asleep I laid down with him and couldn’t help but stare at him while his eyes were closed. He looked so grown up and it brought me to tears. For not even being 8 years old he knows exactly who he is and he stays true to that. When he makes friends, he keeps them. He’s a good big brother to his little sister. He loves to read books and write. Math is his strongest subject and at the same time is a class clown. Earlier this year he had a project where he had to use one word to describe himself and he said “curious”. Valid word for Johnny, his mind is like a sponge. He loves sports and is a good athlete. He’s determined to be the best at pretty much everything and it shows. I hope that he knows just how much his dad and I love him and there is not a day that goes by that we are not proud of the young man that he’s becoming. Not too long ago he was laying on my chest being only a few hours old. Time really is a thief and it’s crazy to think that my 1st baby will be 8 in March. Everyday when I pick him up from school I ask the same 2 questions “what did you learn?” “ what was your favorite part of today?” he tells me what he learned, funny things that happened, what he ate for lunch. But what he doesn’t know, is that the moment that he tells me all that, is my favorite part of every day. Thank you for making me mama sweet boy. 1/14/22

It’s 5pm on a Sunday night and I have to go back to work tomorrow. My stomach hurts just thinking about it. This past week flew by so fast, I loved not have to wake up in a rush to get my son ready for school and to make myself look half decent. So dreading tomorrow where my life goes back to Chaos management. My work gives me so much anxiety, It’s been very clear lately that they are using me for my ideas and actually hired a girl who’s job is to copy the marketing that I do for my company. I feel like there’s no room to grow and most of all I feel stuck. I am good at my job, I take pride in it but lately I’ve lost all of my drive and feel like I’m not sure what I’m working towards. I know what’s going to happen tomorrow I will wake up, I will get my son ready and drop him off at school and I will go to work. By Tuesday I will be back in the swing of things and hating life again. I feel like after vacation you need something to look forward to just to keep going. I do have a business trip in March ( for a job I’m not happy at) lol. Ok no more negativity, this is 2022. New year, new me with all the same problems. I will do my best to be in the moment and really enjoy life, focus on the positives. I started a new face washing/toner routine to make myself look like I’m 22 ( haha not 34). Also hopefully I’ll be saying goodbye to some pounds, I have been drinking giant jug of water everyday. It’s funny how New Years forces people to take a hard look at themselves and see what they are not happy with. I also read somewhere that dressing better forces you to look at yourself in a better light. I’m going to start trying to not look like I just rolled out of bed in 2022. I also got some turtlenecks because I think that’s going to be a go to top this year. Last time I wore a turtleneck was in 6th grade, I felt suffocated the whole time. Wish me luck. So the new Kate will arrive to work tomorrow, with shiny skin from all the crap that I’m using to look like I am 22, with a coffee in one hand, giant water jug in the other wearing a turtleneck. I will also have my new work tote with my new 2022 planner in it, that I am going to force myself to use and not stop by February like all the others. Positive, only positive thoughts. Wish me luck. 01/02/21

Dear Baby DC,

When you were almost 6 months old, we hopped on a plane, just you and me, and headed to St. Lucia (The Motherland). You were the ideal travel companion. I was scared to travel so far alone, but I had to be strong because you were with me and I knew it was something that I needed to do. 

Though, the trip was for mommy to do some soul searching, our one on one time will FOREVER be something that I cherish. You were so happy in the sunshine and you loved the ocean. 

My little beach bum! You smiled the entire time. I can’t even describe to you what it does to my spirit when I walk into a room and you smile and laugh at me, but you were loved up like crazy by EVERYONE in The Motherland, not just me.

The live slow lifestyle of the island agreed with you and you were HAPPY! 

I wasn’t expecting your happiness to rub off on me the way that it did, but it did me wonders. We cuddled together, laughed, lounged on the beach, sang songs and I fell so deep in love with your perfect little spirit. You helped me more than you will ever know. Your love is magic and I will forever be thankful for the time we spent in paradise together…just the two of us! 

It’s true you’ve seen paradise, but I see paradise and a constant reminder of finding inner peace EVERY TIME I look at you. Thank you.

I love you

-mom

In true mommy fashion, I’m a little late on this, but time flies when you are having fun. I cannot believe that you are three years old. Little girl you are full of so much love and personality. You negotiate, you manipulate, and you make me laugh so much. I am in love with your spirit. You test me constantly and although I am pretty sure you spent a good part of this past year of your life in timeout, it was one amazing year…

You were the best face timer EVER! 

You were loving to all things.

You were a selfie monster…

and down with the guy who freed the slaves.

You OWNED fashion.

You learned to be a lady…

and found your green thumb.

You started school…

Sometimes you were shocked by the world…

other times you were bored with it…

But more often than not, you DOMINATED it.

You were the cutest monster ever.

You were a jetsetter.

You gave Gabby Douglas a run for her money! 

You were Auntie Bear’s favorite subject to photograph, and man was she good at it!

You literally WON Halloween with your cuteness.

You were a lover of animals…

Especially your Callie Cat, even while battling an allergy.

You mastered the art of pouting…

and enjoyed nature.

You were illiterate, THANK GOD!

You were often a work of art…

and a huge fan of the dentist.

You were a nursing champ :)

You were quite the tea party enthusiast.

You were a friend.

You were excited for our family to grow…

If, of course, we were having a girl.

We WERE!!!

During labor, you were mommy’s mini doula…

and when she came, you were in LOVE with YOUR baby.

YOU WERE HAPPY!

You were LOVED!

But mostly, you were one man’s oxygen…

and one woman’s REASON

There truly are no words for the amount of love that we have for you. We promise to continue to help you become an amazing individual, we promise you unconditional love and support. We promise that the experiences of the next year of your life will be just as beautiful. 

I love you!

-mom

Hi sweet baby girl! We are anxiously awaiting your arrival. It’s so strange playing the wait game. I know this may sound crazy, but the longer you are in there, the more scary things seem. 

I want you in my arms, I want to look into your face, feel your breath, I want our worlds to finally collide! 

You are clearly on your own time lol. Momma and auntie Bear have attempted every so-called home remedy to naturally induce labor and you, my child, are not having any part of it.

So before I get the amazing pleasure of meeting you face-to-face, I wanted to take the time to tell you of our love story. 

We spent Christmas of 2013 back at momma’s second home, Daddy’s first,  in St. Lucia. It was there that Daddy and I knew we wanted you. We spoke you into existence. You were thought about, wished for and planned. 

I still remember the moment I found out I was carrying you, I remember the shock, the excitement, the happiness. I remember the love. 

Instantly I fell in love with you. Before I ever laid eyes on you, before I ever even heard your heartbeat, I loved you completely. 

I will ALWAYS love you completely. I will always see you, I will always hear you, and it will ALWAYS mean something to me. 

This world can be a big scary place, often hard to navigate. Lucky for you you were blessed with a daddy who has the patience of a saint and a mommy who is never afraid to speak up for what is right. I hope like hell you inherit my spirit, and daddy’s logic. 

Last night I was so excited. My contractions picked up and we headed to the hospital, even our midwife thought you would be making your appearance. I walked like crazy all the while telling you how much I wanted to meet you, but snuggled inside of me, so close to my heart, seems to be your comfort zone right now. 

I love you little girl so very much, but I will continue to wait until you are ready. Just know that Mommy, Daddy and big sister MJ couldn’t be more excited to bring you home and love you up. 

Life’s only real requirement, baby girl, is that you breathe. So just breathe baby girl…and breathe easy! The rest you will learn, you will be taught, you will be amazing. 

I wish for you so much laughter. Those kind of laughs that make you scream at the same time and lead to tears flowing. 

I dream for you a spirit of integrity, a fighter’s spirit. 

I hope for you life lessons that never break you but serve to help you grow and become better. 

I pray for you everyday, for your happiness and your health.

I want for you love on every level, the obvious unconditional love from me and daddy, a sisterly love with MJ, a soul-mate love like I have with Auntie Bear and even the scream it from the mountain top type of love that Mommy has for Daddy.  

I need for you to recognize your self worth, to understand the impact that you can make on people and the world. It’s a choice little girl. You can be someone who is content with just going a long for the ride, or you can be the master of your own fate -staying attentive to the journey and actively participating. 

I’d love for people to always treat you amazing, I am terrified of the thought of seeing you hurt or sad. Inevitably it will happen though, please don’t let people steal your sunshine. Understand that YOU decide what can and can’t affect you. 

Yes, even when people try to break your spirit, keep on loving, keep on caring, just keep on and remember that what you put out, is always going to come back. 

So put out positivity, put out love, put out intelligence, put out handwork and dedication, put out faith and hope.

Sometimes the world and people will seem overbearing. In those moments I hope you take the time to sit in silence and just let life speak to you. Listen to your heart, your mind. Now I will be perfectly honest and tell you that sometimes there is a disconnect between what the heart feels and what the mind thinks, but always trust your gut. Listen to your intuition it will NEVER lead you astray. 

I want you to know that you are pre approved! We are waiting for you, ready to love you, naturally we are already in love with every thing that you are.  

So as you continue to take your time. Sweet girl just know that I’m on the other side waiting. Ready to be for you whatever you need of me. Daddy is here too! He can’t wait to hold you close and make you laugh. Big sister MJ  talks about you daily. She spends so much time rubbing and kissing my belly, she can’t wait to make you her best friend for life. 

Take your time baby girl, but we are more than ready for you. The world is ready for you! You may not know it yet, it may take you a very long time to comprehend it, but I will always be here to remind you that you my child will change the world! 

I love you!

-Mom

You know those moments that put things into perspective?  Things seems so out of whack, and then bam that moment happens and FINALLY some clarity! That moment was captured in this picture.

Life is not ideal right now.  I do not have a job and the job hunt is much more exhausting than I could have ever imagined.  My baby girl is popping out teeth left and right and she is in so much pain, breaks my heart.  Slimmy has extra stress because, well I am ALWAYS around now and he rarely gets a break from his lady loves-and again I don’t have a job so I am sure that weighs on him as well.

This transition has been interesting, never easy, but always rewarding. Marriage is tough in itself, but a new marriage and a baby right away can make things so beyond chaotic.  We are doing it though, and doing it well too!

Some days I am frustrated with my marriage. We are not always on the same page or in sync and the lack of sleep from being new parents has us pitted against each other at times. 

Some days I am frustrated with myself. I want to be a better wife and mother, I don’t have it all figured out yet. It’s an awful place to want to do more for your family, but your too exhausted to put your thoughts into actions.

Some days being a mom is heartbreaking.  When you are blessed with a kid who literally only cries when she is hungry or needs to be changed, when she cries because she is in pain-it is almost unbearable.

I think a lot, I worry more, I am fully aware of this, but every now and then one of those moments that I was talking about happens and suddenly you can let out a sigh of relief.

When my friend Rebeccah sent over this teaser shot from our family photo shoot, she probably had no idea she was also giving me peace of mind. Despite the fact that my world is in chaos, that shot of my beautiful daughter and husband stopped my whole world and forced me to be thankful.

Thankful that I get to see them smile everyday, thankful that both of their smiles are contagious, so no matter what I am smiling a lot as well. Thankful that me and Slimmy, regardless of issues, stay united as a team and committed to each other and talk often about adding to our family.

Thankful for the past, and the present and extremely hopeful for the future. We are not perfect by any means but imperfectly perfect looks good on us!

Hi Baby Girl!

WOW! Today you are eight months old and a whole lot of personality. I love you unlike any other love I have ever experienced and I appreciate what your presence has given me-GROWTH.

I want you to know that you are such a happy baby. You rarely cry or fuss! You absolutely LOVE your daddy and FINALLY you and Callie cat seem to really love each other.

The last eight months have flown by. You were this tiny little baby and now you are soooo big and your own person for sure. You love music, you love when your daddy throws you up into the air and you cannot get enough of your Baby Einsteins and Mickey Mouse Club.

Everyone who meets you comments on how well behaved you are! We are very blessed to have you as ours.

I love your giggle and smile and how you love cuddling with me. I want nothing but the best for you and I NEVER make a decision without your well being at the forefront of my mind.

Thank you for being so awesomely you! You’re a mover and a shaker (just like your momma), and you have no interest in crawling but try so hard to walk.

Take your time baby, you are growing so fast and this world has a way of forcing people to grow up far sooner than they should.

I love every part of you and I cannot wait for what the future holds for you! Keep that smile baby! The world can be tough, but you are stronger and you will make it through whatever this world throws at you.

It’s in your blood to be a survivor! It’s in your blood to work hard! and you will ALWAYS feel loved! This I promise you!

Happy eight months baby girl!

I asked the Mommies on my Facebook page if they follow their intuition when it comes to their kids or do they feel they may be overreacting-it was unanimous! Mommies follow their intuition, better safe than sorry! I agree and will never question myself again!

Baby girl was 3 months old when she hopped on her first flight. I wasn’t off of maternity leave yet but agreed to go cover the top ten finalists of American Idol-working momma for sure. With breastfeeding and her being so young, I thought it would be best to just bring her with.

She is now a world traveler. At only 7 and a half months, she has been to Chicago, New York, Los Angeles on two separate occasions, and to her other home Saint Lucia (The Motherland) twice as well.

I remember the concerned and often judgemental looks I received when people saw me board the plane with a then 3 month old baby. But from day one she has come through like a champ.

I was nervous at first. I didn’t know how she would do, but she’s a happy kid and if she’s not sleeping, she’s playing peek-a-boo with other passengers. I had a lot of people ask me how she would do, looking at her like she was some loose cannon ready to go off at any moment lol. I simply replied, well she hasn’t let me down yet.

She really hasn’t, after our latest trip to The Motherland, I had many passengers tell me that she was the best baby they had ever encountered on a plane. Now I have to give myself some credit as a mommy. Baby girl is teething right now so I assumed the worst. I was worried about her ears, her teeth…I did not want her uncomfortable. I stocked up on baby teethers, baby motrin and I stuck a boob in her mouth on take off and touch down and we soared through with no issues.

I am a working momma and more importantly half of her family lives in a different country. There never really was an option for me, it has been my job since the day she was born to show her the world…it just so happens that in her world there will be many layovers and plane rides included.

In honor of national breastfeeding week, I thought I would share some thoughts on breastfeeding. 

Doing what’s best for my baby is my priority despite the ridiculousness I have encountered…I will share some of that with you now.

Since day one I have been very on top of my needs for breastfeeding. I let my employer know what I needed and the company has been fantastic. One particular employee, however, on more than one occasion failed to realize the importance of my pumping schedule and asked me to hurry up and be back by a certain time. HE also told me to pump in a bathroom once.

Let me tell you that my boobs work on their own time, I can’t just tell them to hurry up, it does not work that way. More importantly, how about I prepare your lunch in the bathroom, I bet you might be a little hesitant to eat it…That’s unsanitary so NO I will not make my baby’s lunch in there either.

Once while feeding the baby, I had a guy stare at me the entire time, and YES I was covered up. I finally called to Slim because it was just weird. I’m not sure why he couldn’t look away, nothing was showing and I’m sure it’s no mystery why I have a baby covered up like that.

My own brother recently asked me if I wanted to go into a different room to feed the baby. In his defense, he wasn’t really sure how it worked and was trying to be helpful. I think he was a little afraid he might witness something,  I told him we were ok and I fed her without anyone seeing anything. I think it was a teaching moment and he won’t ask a lady to leave the room again.

What saddens me the most when it comes to the breastfeeding battle is that it is still a battle. How on earth did something so natural become taboo? Today after this photo was posted on someone’s Facebook timeline, all hell broke lose.

a woman posted that women who breastfeed at restaurants have no manners and were not raised right. She proceeded to say that if you couldn’t find a sitter than stay home, that breastfeeding your baby while SHE was eating in the same vicinity was offensive and that we should get up and take our babies into the bathroom (again, what the hell is wrong with people). That we were as bad as people who bring their children to bars.

It was easy to figure out that she did not have kids. She admitted that no she didn’t have any but that she would take being polite any day over feeding her child in public.

I remember a long time ago a lady at work crying because her cat had died. I remember thinking, wow lady it’s just a cat-years later I felt pain like I had never experienced when our family cat passed away. Sometimes it’s best not to speak on something before you’ve lived it- lesson learned for sure. I hope this is also the case for crazy hide your tit woman.

If one day this illogical woman’s child is screaming bloody murder because she is starving ( in some unideal place) and she looks around the room and is worried about the individuals in that room more than the life that she created, than I firmly believe she has issues.

There isn’t a place in this world or a person who I would be worried about offending if and when my baby girl needs to eat.

I applaud the women who have made the decision to breastfeed! Good for you, I know first hand that you literally can’t just go spend hours doing anything because you either have to feed your child, or find a suitable place to pump.

Breastfeeding moms, I totally get it. I appreciate your hard work and commend you for sticking with it! Happy National Breastfeeding Week!

And to those that we offend, maybe you should be offended by the women who flash their boobs for Mardi Gras beads, or to get some guys attention-and if given the choice would you want your daughter showing her boob to feed her child or…doing something strange for a little bit of change?!

Maybe you should be offended by the parents who do harmful things to their children instead of the parents who are trying to do something beneficial. More importantly I wrote this blog boobs out and baby on my lap! Yeah I said it.

I have raised a baby girl for seven months and honestly, I have very little to complain about-she is happy all the time! The only time she cries is when she needs to be fed or changed and she gets a little fussy now that she’s teething- but that’s to be expected.

Although this may seem ideal, there is a downfall to having an immensely happy child-when they cry, it sets you into panic mode because you really aren’t used to it.

Tonight I had to suck it up and let baby MJ cry. I didn’t want to, but I had to. She isn’t sleeping through the night and I believe it has a lot to do with the fact that me and Slimmy have been suckers and have let her take over our bed and I continue to feed her when she wakes up through the night.

After numerous conversations, a whole lot of googling and research, I finally made the decision to let her cry it out. Easier said than done for sure. We are trying to get a routine together, we are failing miserably. The kid does not want to go to bed anywhere near early-night owl like her daddy.

So today she didn’t really nap that much at all so I was very hopeful, but 7pm rolled around and she wasn’t tired at all. I fed her, laid her down, played lullaby music-NOTHING. For a little bit she seemed content just laying there, and then all hell broke loose.

She screamed bloody murder, I repeatedly told myself she’s ok. Her diaper is clean, she is not hungry, she just wants to cuddle, stay strong. For someone so little man can she really wail. I questioned everything. Is this ok? Am I doing the right thing? Will she hate me tomorrow?

I held out though, a few tears of my own shed, and suddenly the room was silent. She’s sleep, IN HER OWN BED! I am not gonna lie, I feel like I should check her every 5 minutes. I am not even sure I will be able to fall asleep now and let me tell you this baby monitor is up so loud, but mission accomplished.

Now what?! Do we do this every night? Do I have to let her cry in order for her to fall asleep and stay sleep? What happens when she wakes up tonight? Do I get her, let her cry again? I am not sure I can do that.

HELP?! I should be enjoying this grown up time now that baby girl is knocked out, instead I am questioning tonights turn of events and my parenting techniques. I will have to just breathe it out. It’s only day one, God I hope it gets easier, until it does though-I will keep my ear glued to this baby monitor.

When you have a child, you should understand the opportunity that you hold in your hands!

I have never really considered myself a judgemental person. Honestly what others choose to do has no affect on how I live my life so why should anyone’s choices be of concern to me…and then I had a baby.

I am fully aware that I will not do everything right as a parent. I am a firm believer in trial and error and let me tell you that that can lead to some interesting situations, but lately I have witnessed some huge parenting flaws and if it makes me judgemental for pointing them out, than so be it.

How on earth are you as a parent, driving around on a highway with your baby bouncing around in the back. What logical reason is your child not strapped into a car seat? What if the unthinkable happens and your child becomes a projectile object?

Why exactly is your baby, who can’t even be one yet, eating chips and drinking pop? Now I am no doctor, but I can tell you that this is not ok and quite detrimental to the health of your child.

Where are you at?!?! How is it that I stumbled into your 3 year old daughter sitting halfway off the curb and halfway into the street?  We had a ten minute conversation. I learned her name, how old she was, and where she lived. What I never learned was where you were. It really should be easy to figure out how this situation could have gone terribly wrong. She could have been hit by a car, I could have been a kidnapper or pedophile…the possibilities are endless.

Why do you look fresh to death and your child looks as if he/she hasn’t been bathed for days? Looking good is awesome, who doesn’t want to be attractive and feel good? But if wearing name brand clothes and getting your nails and hair done, or buying that new pair of shoes means that baby girl will be neglected, maybe you need to make better choices. No it is not ok to let her wear the same dirty sponge bob t-shirt for 3 days and leave her hair looking like a comb hasn’t touched it in a month. You are failing big time.

I’m sorry, but with all this open space, why is it that you must smoke with your kids in your car and even worse with the windows up?! By all means smoke! Smoke until your lungs turn black, that is your choice and do what makes you happy, but how dare you do that to your baby?! When your child winds up with asthma or some other horrible breathing disorder, yes you will be to blame, simple!

Every parent is allowed to get frustrated, the job is not easy and kids will test you, but screaming at your child, calling your child names and telling your child they are worthless, only makes you look terrible. I can only imagine what goes on at home, if this happens in public.

I am not going to do everything right, I am fully aware of it, but I am certainly ALWAYS keeping her best interest at heart. I have accepted that I will make mistakes. I am learning daily, but sometimes I look around at my fellow parents and I am blown away that everyone is allowed to procreate.

Children will rise to expectations, but they will also fall to expectations, so why on earth are you not raising the bar?