by Galit Breen (USA) | Feb 3, 2011 | Family, Humor, Kids, Language, Motherhood, Parenting, USA
Jason and I met on-line in 1999. You know, WAY back when it was still gaspworthy and new to do so. We were long distance for about a year while he finished up school in Wisconsin and I was teaching and grad-schooling in California. Did I make you gasp again with the whole older woman thing? I’m a surprise a minute, people.
Living three-hour-flights away from each other meant that we put in A LOT of phone time. I think our record was a nine-hour marathon. True story.
At the end of each and every day we would curl up in sweats and cozy blankets and just…talk. We talked about politics, religion, gourmet food, sex, movies, art. (more…)
Once upon a time Galit Breen was a TRAVELER. She met amazing people and ate delicious food. And all was well with the world. And then, she started her real life. She became a STUDENT earning a BS in Human Development and an MA in Education. She became a classroom and reading TEACHER. She met a man on the internet (when it was gasp-worthy and new) and became his WIFE. She became a MINNESOTAN shortly after that, and he still owes her one for that. But the biggest earthquake shake to her soul was becoming a MOM. The interrupted sleep. The crying. The diapers. The lack of sleep. Did she mention the lack of sleep? But there was also the attachment, the touch, the bungee cords to her heart. Sigh. So today her labels are woven together. Tightly. A wife of one! A Mama of three! And a brand new puggle owner! Of one, people. Just one new puppy, thankyouverymuch. To keep her grounded and to add to the lack of lack of sleep factor, she writes. She writes about Motherhood. Parenting. Spirituality. Feminism. Education. Books. Writing. Balance. And Chocolate. Her writing is sometimes sarcastic, sometimes heart-warming and always transparent. Galit is a columnist at TC Jewfolk and has been published in places such as Jewesses With Attitude, Kveller and Scary Mommy. She is honored to connect with you here, at World Mom’s Blog. Galit can be reached by E-mail galitbreen@gmail.com or Twitter @galitbreen. And don’t forget to check out her personal blog, These Little Waves!
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by Ambre French (Norway) | Jan 31, 2011 | Culture, Family, Kids, Motherhood, Norway, Parenting, Working Mother
I remember walking in the street, while pregnant, looking at some young mothers pushing their prams, looking great. They were made up and wearing cool clothes: the perfect combination of the modern mum and the urban self-confident woman.
I thought to myself ,” Right, I’ll be a pretty mummy.” (It’s funny how I never stopped to consider the other mums around, wearing sweatpants and who had given up on their brush. Shouldn’t that have given me a hint?)
And then my beautiful baby came … nothing was (is) more important than her well-being. Who cares what I look like?! Arguments were pouring through my mind:
1) I’m breastfeeding, so I need to be comfortable
2) I am not going to buy more clothes, I’ll just wear my training trousers until I fit into my old clothes again
3) I am getting up at night and going to bed during the day, so no real point of getting out of my PJs…
4) I never go out. Winter in Norway? Minus 18 and 2-meter snow, say no more! (more…)
by Tara Bergman (USA) | Jan 24, 2011 | Family, Kids, Motherhood, Parenting, Sleep and Children, Tara B.
Our first son was never a great sleeper. He is an intense little guy, and this carried over into the night for the first several years of his life.
As new parents, we fell into patterns of catering to whatever he needed in order to get back to sleep, whether that be offering a bottle or searching for a pacifier lost in the bedding early on, to holding his hand or rubbing his back until he fell asleep in later years.
He didn’t consistently sleep a solid 6 +hours until 18 months old, and he didn’t go to bed on his own until he was 3 ½, when we bought him a loft bed with the understanding that he had to be on his own, as we couldn’t sit by his side if he was 4 feet up (which he did agree to and has proven to be a fantastic sleeper ever since!).
We did try sleep training with him, meaning letting him cry it out as a baby, but he seemed to only ratchet up more. Each attempt didn’t get better, it got worse, and we gave up.
I just couldn’t see it through… (more…)
Tara is a native Pennsylvanian who moved to the Seattle area in 1998 (sight unseen) with her husband to start their grand life adventure together. Despite the difficult fact that their family is a plane ride away, the couple fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and have put down roots. They have 2 super charged little boys and recently moved out of the Seattle suburbs further east into the country, trading in a Starbucks on every corner for coyotes in the backyard. Tara loves the outdoors (hiking, biking, camping). And, when her family isn't out in nature, they are hunkered down at home with friends, sharing a meal, playing games, and generally having fun. She loves being a stay-at-home mom and sharing her experiences on World Moms Network!
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by Eva Fannon (USA) | Jan 19, 2011 | Culture, Eva Fannon, Family, Kids, Motherhood, Parenting, USA
I have always been a modest person, and I think I got that from my mom. It may have been a generational thing (she was born in the 1940s), or a cultural thing (she was born and raised in South America).
In any case, I remember that once I got a little older (maybe around first or second grade?), I wasn’t allowed to take baths with my brothers anymore, and I was always instructed to get dressed and undressed in the bathroom, by myself, behind a closed door.
This stuck with me, and as I have aged, I have continued to be a demure person…whether it be at the doctor’s office, in the shower and locker rooms at the gym, or even in the privacy of my own apartment.
Enter labor and childbirth… (more…)
Eva Fannon is a working mom who lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her hubby and two girls. She was born and raised on the east coast and followed her husband out west when he got a job offer that he couldn't refuse. Eva has always been a planner, so it took her a while to accept that no matter how much you plan and prepare, being a mom means a new and different state of "normal".
Despite the craziness on most weekday mornings (getting a family of four out the door in time for work and school is no easy task!), she wouldn't trade being a mother for anything in the world. She and her husband are working on introducing the girls to the things they love - travel, the great outdoors, and enjoying time with family and friends. Eva can be found on Twitter @evafannon.
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by Kyla P'an (Portugal) | Jan 17, 2011 | China, Family, Family Travel, International, Kids, Motherhood, Multicultural, Travel, USA
In the fall of 2007, when our daughter was just 16 months old, my husband studied the fall semester of his two-year Masters of Business Administration program abroad in Beijing, China. He left in September, so he could settle in and get the majority of his fall semester completed. Then in November, my daughter and I planned to join him for the last two months.
As most mother’s know, traveling with kids can test your moral fiber.
So, imagine the daunting prospect of a solo, 14-hour, transpacific flight with a “lap infant” (meaning, in order to fly our daughter over for free, I had to risk traveling with her on my lap if the flight was full). My biggest tests were: my lap infant was actually an active and inquisitive toddler and the flight was full.
But desperate means call for desperate measures. (more…)
Kyla was born in suburban Philadelphia but spent most of her time growing up in New England. She took her first big, solo-trip at age 14, when she traveled to visit a friend on a small Greek island. Since then, travels have included: three months on the European rails, three years studying and working in Japan, and nine months taking the slow route back from Japan to the US when she was done. In addition to her work as Managing Editor of World Moms Network, Kyla is a freelance writer, copy editor, recovering triathlete and occasional blogger. Until recently, she and her husband resided outside of Boston, Massachusetts, where they were raising two spunky kids, two frisky cats, a snail, a fish and a snake. They now live outside of Lisbon, Portugal with two spunky teens and three frisky cats. You can read more about Kyla’s outlook on the world and parenting on her personal blogs, Growing Muses And Muses Where We Go
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by Angela Y (USA) | Jan 12, 2011 | Cooking, Family, Kids, Motherhood, Parenting, USA
I studied business in college. Little did I know that I would one day become a short-order cook! Or, at least that is how I feel. With two young children and a husband who works a lot, I spend most of my days in the kitchen.
Thankfully, I love to cook! And not to brag, but I am a pretty good cook…except for the night I served “rubber chicken”, as my husband called it.
I haven’t always been good in the kitchen. When I first met my husband, my idea of cooking was dumping a bag of frozen vegetables in a wok and giving them a toss and – Voila! Dinner!
He referred to my meals has “human food” as there is “cat food” and “dog food” – something one would eat purely for survival. Thankfully, after many years together and many issues of “Bon Appetit”, I have found my inner chef — who still overcooks the chicken from time to time. (more…)
Angela Y. is in her mid-thirties and attempting to raise her two daughters (big girl, R, 3 years; little girl, M, 1 year) with her husband in San Francisco, CA. After spending ten years climbing the corporate ladder, she traded it all in to be a stay-at-home mom! Her perspective of raising a child in the city is definitely different from those who have been city dwellers all their lives, as she grew up in rural Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) surrounded by her extended family.
Angela Y. and her husband are on their own on the west coast of the United States — the only family help they receive is when someone comes for a visit. But, the lifestyle in San Francisco is like no other for them, so there, they stay! This exercise conscious mom is easily recognized, especially when she is riding around her husband-built bike with two seats on the back. And, when she’s not hanging out with the girls, you can find Angela Y. in the kitchen. She loves to cook for her family, especially dessert, and then eats some herself when no one is looking! Sneaky, mom!
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Jason and I met on-line in 1999. You know, WAY back when it was still gaspworthy and new to do so. We were long distance for about a year while he finished up school in Wisconsin and I was teaching and grad-schooling in California. Did I make you gasp again with the whole older woman thing? I’m a surprise a minute, people.
