How to Say I’m Sorry

Last monday was Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. I was reflective as I delivered my kids’ fancy shoes to their dad’s house for synagogue. What better time to reflect on… not just apologies but Beginning Anew. It’s not the first time I’ve heard of this ritual but most recently from Thay. The ritual, which can be done as often as you please, really is incredibly powerful in that it not only acknowledges any hurt and suffering that you may have caused but also plants the seeds of love. Another thing I love about it is its specificity. For me, the blanket… “I’m sorry for everything and anything I may have done in the past year to hurt you.” has always rung empty. Sorry for what??? Read more

How Important Your Women Friends Are

“… I had my husband and my kids and I sort of forgot about how important having a lot of good women in my life really is….”

My name is Mindy Bhuyan. I have three kids, (13 year old girl, 11 year old boy, and 7 year old girl) also a puppy chocolate lab.
When I was six, I wanted to own a monkey. If my six year old self could give me advice, she would say :  Don’t forget how fun it is to climb trees, ride bikes, and play in the dirt.

Join Mindy on My Mommy Manual’s Discussions page where she and the other WAG Women will be sharing what WAG has brought to her life… “I feel very safe with this group of women. I could do anything or say anything and it would be okay.”

How to Let Your Kid Come Out to Play

My name is Allie. I am a very happy and proud mom of two little fraggles (a 5 year old girl and a 2 year old boy). I like to think that I am a good Mom (making many mistakes and learning valuable lessons along the way) but the jury is still out on whether I do my job well—time will only tell. My kiddos may get me the T-shirt that claims that they have “The Best Mom in the World” (they are slightly biased) but I will wait to see if they are still saying that when they are thirty-something.

When I was six years old, I am pretty sure I wanted to be a boy. That probably sounds like a psychiatrist’s dream to say something like that but, whatever!!! Boys were good at everything, they could go topless anywhere, and they did not have to wear big, annoying, bows in their hair.

I wish I could say that my six year old self would say something so profound to me–full of wisdom and and life changing but probably not.  Most likely, my six year old self would tell me two things that would go something like this: “You have a big old honkin’ piece of broccoli in your teeth” and “Remember that I am still in here somewhere and I LOVE it when you let me out to play.”

Join Allie on My Mommy Manual’s Discussions page where she and the other WAG Women will be sharing what WAG has brought to her life… “I can be myself. Exactly who I am!”

How to Laugh with Friends

My name is Monnie Brodbeck and I am the mom of two loving, happy girls, Hannah (age 6) and Lydia (age 3) and a sweet golden retriever named Tenakee.  My husband, Steve, and I are a team as we play, work, laugh, and explore as a family. We all enjoy the outdoors and find joy in adventures of all kinds. When I was six, I wanted to ride my horse everyday and play outside.

I lived on a horse ranch in South Dakota where I played outdoors everyday, creating imaginary games and playing with horses, dogs, and cats.  If my six year old self could give me advice, she would say, “Keep it real.  Be all that you want to be and love your happy life. Have fun and laugh with friends!!” Monnie is the force behind the Original WAG, a group in which a woman can experience “adventures” and all the personal growth and empowerment that come with them, with the support and the security of her girlfriends.

Join Monnie on My Mommy Manual’s Discussions page. where she and her WAG Women will be sharing how and why she started her WAG, “As moms and as women, we need things that are all about us. It really is an opportunity to celebrate together, to explore and to learn and to have a good time.”

How to Recognize Warning Signs

Warning signs…if you’d asked me last night what these two little words conjured up in my head, I’d have said “A great song by Coldplay.”… but ask me this same question today and I’d have a different answer. ”Oh, you mean like those little red lights that showed up on my car’s dash yesterday that I ignored? The same ones that were there this morning (now four instead of two) just before my car conked out?” Yeah. Like THOSE warning signs. Read more

How to Enjoy the Journey

I don’t think that the wonder/amazement/awe of being a parent has stopped for me yet! I have a 7 year old son and a 4 year old daughter. When I enter their rooms in the mornings to wake them up for school, I sometimes just stare at them in amazement. How beautiful they are! How much they’ve changed & grown! Wondering what their futures hold!

Every age & stage they have been through has had something new & wonderful for me as a mom…from their first smiles, to their first words, first day of school…the list could go on forever!
It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day stuff with work and kids, but it’s so important to take a step back once in a while and just appreciate these gifts from God!

Also Read:

Tyler’s Moment
Roberta’s Moment
Cathy’s Moment
Melissa’s Moment
Tara’s Moment

How to Forgive

I was at the playground the other day with my kids and my 7 year old was reaching for the third rung of the monkey bars, which is still just beyond her reach. As I watched, I could feel myself tense up and in an effort to “help,” I heard myself thinking about all the things she could do to “improve her performance.” But I said nothing. In fact, I had to turn away because I had a sense that she was looking to me for approval that she was “doing it right.” I didn’t trust myself not to express my own frustration, although well meaning, which would come through as judgement. Read more

How to Recognize Grace

Hmmm… realizing my ‘momminess’ seems to occur every day. I have been gracefully giving in for some time now (and often not so gracefully). Recently, my daughter and I were screaming at each other, raging madness. I classically ‘pulled the car over’ and jumped out to look her in the eye, I was serious about whatever it was we were discussing. She so badly wanted to take a swing at me, her little hand clenched and trembling, pretending she had no intention, tears streaming…I bit my lip and loved her enough to let her hate me for that moment. And realized how deeply we were connected and how strongly my role requiring patience and calm and laughter had just been defined.

Also Read:
Roberta’s Moment
Cathy’s Moment
Melissa’s Moment
Tara’s Moment

Tyler is the woman behind Periwinklebloom, a company that is about simple, inspired and kind living. It is about making art using natural things; organic cotton fibers, vegetable-based ink, clean energy and hand-crafting.

Periwinklebloom will be showcasing their exquisite organic letterpress paper goods and and 100% organic cotton children’s collection at our pre-Mother’s Day Celebration, It’s All About Mom.

How to Be Enough

One thing parenthood is good for on the path to spiritual growth is showing us our limitations. Last Friday I met a few of mine and let me tell you…they are a scary looking bunch. The sort of fellows a girl doesn’t want to find her self alone with in a dark alley.

Last week, I got feedback from a near stranger that nailed me right between the eyes. She took one of my greatest strengths - being a leader - and flipped it over to expose me for the equally poor follower that I am. This feedback wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to hear. It sort of knocked me off my feet because on some level, I knew she was right. She had seen a flaw in me and she let me know it, leaving me to Read more

How to be Grateful for What Is

I had been parenting my oldest for 2 years when I found out I was pregnant again. I was thrilled and couldn’t wait to have the family of my dreams. I miscarried at 17 weeks. This brought about 4 years of secondary infertility and all sorts of treatments and shots and 3 more miscarriages.

We decided to adopt. I had spoken to about 3 birth moms and then the phone stopped ringing. I was rather depressed but determined. I found out I was pregnant in March of ‘95. Because my miscarriage rate was so high, I thought I might miss again, so I kept up with my adoption ads, but cut back some what. One week after I knew I was pregnant, I heard back from a birth mom. She said it had taken her those last 3 months to really make up her mind and she was due in May. My son was born on the 7th. We flew out to Utah when I was 14 weeks pregnant to pick up our son. It was love before first sight.

When my daughter was born the following October, My husband brought my sons to the hospital. Imagine the faces of the nurses when they saw my 6 year old, my 5 month old and a newborn all on my hospital bed. The smile on my face was now permanent and I realized at that moment that this was truly the way my family was meant to be. I now am grateful for my many misses because I would not have the complete love and joy of parenting my middle son.

Also Read:
Cathy’s Moment
Melissa’s Moment
Tara’s Moment

Roberta is the owner of Scrubz Body Scrub, Inc. Roberta and Scrubz were recently featured in the Long Island Exchange.

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