Kid Scoop
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After nearly a year here at Babble, I’m sitting here trying to find the words to say goodbye.
What an amazing experience it has been to be a part of the Babble team.
I don’t even know where to begin to express just how much I’ve learned while working here.
Writing five days a week taught me to push myself. Until I began writing here, I wrote when I was moved to write. I waited for ideas to come to me. Babble helped to push me creatively and I am so grateful for that.
I’ve become even more self-disciplined over the past year and that’s something that I’ll carry away with me.
Today is my husband’s birthday.
And as birthdays go in our house, there’s more than a little excitement swirling around today.
Katie woke up this morning and ran, full tilt, to her father to wish him a happy birthday and she hasn’t stopped talking about it since.
When she and I began planning what we’d do for his special day, she had tons of exciting ideas…
When our babies are first handed to us, thoughts of loving and keeping them healthy and safe fill our minds.
As they get bigger, we think about how important it is to feed them nutritious foods and teach them what it means to healthy.
But, what we don’t always think about along the way is just how much they are learning from us every single day.
When we are irritable or resilient or good natured, a bit of us rubs off onto them.
Aside from the tangible needs that we must meet for our children…food, shelter, clothing…the list of intangibles that are also important is a mile long.
This weekend, I faced something that truly terrified me and I’m hoping that one day my daughter remembers it as she faces her own fears.
Rachel's beautiful daughter, Sadie
One of the greatest challenges that I’ve had as a parent is letting go.
If I had my choice, I’d keep my children glued to my side for as long as humanly possible. I’ve written before about how difficult it is for me to watch my children grow more independent.
But, I’m lucky enough to have a husband who truly gets me and balances me out. He knows just how to reassure me that giving them a little space is healthy.
And I have a handful of friends who are like sisters…women I admire for their endless parenting wisdom.
My friend Rachel is one of those women. She has this amazing ability to simultaneously encourage her daughter to grow and blossom while keeping her her little girl.
Her daughter, Sadie, one of my daughter’s favorite people, turned five on Wednesday.
Rachel wrote about what Sadie’s birthday meant to her and quoted a passage from If I Could Keep You Little, by Marianne Richmond.
Here’s just a small piece of it…
As I come off my ten-step series on dumping your mom frump, I find myself feeling much better about myself. It’s amazing what a little bit of refocusing can do.
Over the past couple of weeks, I covered clothes, beauty products, easy hairstyles, and foods to help you feel healthy. I also wrote about the importance of drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, and reading. I hope you picked up tips on how to squeeze in some exercise and ideas for date night with your husband and girls’ night out.
I’d be leaving you high and dry if I didn’t give you a resource to keep you inspired.
If you’re like me, you may need an occasional nudge to stay on track.
That’s where Dump Your Frump comes in.
One of the most amazing parts about being a mother has been witnessing the relationship develop between my husband and daughter.
From those early moments in the hospital when she was first born when I saw how he looked at her, I knew just how lucky she was.
They have a bond that takes my breath away.
My father died when I was two years old and I’ve always dreamed of the day when I would witness what a father-daughter relationship looked like firsthand.
I have saved the last of the changes I’m making in my attempt to dump the mom frump for last because it’s the most challenging for me.
I used to be a runner and ran 4 miles a day, 5 days a week. And I felt strong.
But then my children came along and I was surprised by just how difficult it is to find time to get away for an hour each day.
So, I’ve started and stopped running no fewer than 5 times since having my children.
I’ve come to realize that one day I’ll have time to get back to my daily runs, but in the meantime, I have to find a way to exercise while I have two small children.
Nothing makes me feel more frumpy than the bit of extra weight that I’m carrying around and the lack of muscle tone that comes from not making fitness a priority.
So, since getting away on my own to exercise just can’t happen every day, I’m going to incorporate more movement into our everyday routine.
Here’s what I’m planning to do…
Kacy Faulconer 
Marinka 
DadCAMP 
Jen at PIWTPITT 
Mandy Cheney 
Stacie Haight Connerty 
Devan McGuinness 
Lori Garcia 
Meghan Gesswein 
Amber Doty 
Casey Mullins 
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