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Ending the Experiment

October 17th 2008 12:12

After giving this some serious thought, I think I’m going to move on from this blog. Using orble.com was a fun experiment, but it didn’t provide the results I was hoping for. I’m happy to have participated in so many wonderful conversations, but that was really the only benefit to maintaining this blog.

I’ll still be posting “reality mom” type blogs, but they’ll be posted on my main blog (Jenn Hollowell: Working Writer) rather than here. I’ll also be posting the little informational snippets I’ve been presenting here over there. So, I hope you’ll all consider adjusting your bookmarks, subscriptions, and feed readers accordingly.


Trust me when I say this wasn’t an easy decision to make. I really need to pull in the reigns, though, and focus more on income producing activities. We all reach forks along way down our career paths, and this is mine.
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Never-ending To-Do Lists

October 15th 2008 14:18

This week has been one never-ending to-do list of chores, appointments, errands, housework, sporting events, parenting, and career responsibilities . . . and . . . it’s only Wednesday. I’m eager for this weekend, but I’m not really sure why because it is full of more lists of things that have to be finished (primarily: homework with my nephew and finishing my book).


Here is my to do list for today:
1. get the kids up and ready for school, get them on the bus
2. work from 7:45am until 2:45pm and do housework:
a. laundry
b. vacuum
c. pay bills
d. email nephews teachers
e. scrub bathrooms
3. kids off the bus, snack, nephew getting picked up by his mom for doctor’s appointment
4. homework with the kids, and than activities
5. start supper while fitting in some more work while the kids play
6. soccer practice at 5:00pm
7. bath-time with the kids when we get home, get them ready for bed
8. homework with nephew while getting in some more work time
9. go over progress reports with nephew and fiancé, set up homework schedule for make-up work over the weekend
10. clean up from dinner, start another load of laundry

I’m not including my list of things to do for work because, well, it’s too long. I have it written in my to-do list notebook, though. What are your plans for today? Do you feel like you’re working through a never-ending list of to-do’s? Do you find yourself feeling like you’re racing against the clock?
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Short School Week

October 12th 2008 18:12

Despite it being a short school week (the kids have Monday off from school because it’s a holiday), that doesn’t mean there’s less to do.
· Monday: my nephew and I will be working on his homework all day while I work on my job-related duties. Then, the rest of the kids will be home by 5pm.
· Tuesday: my nephew has a doctor’s appointment at 3:15pm; the boys have soccer practice at 5pm.
· Wednesday: my stepdaughter has soccer practice at 5:00pm.
· Thursday: the three of them all have soccer games between 5:15pm and 5:45pm.
· Friday: they all head off in different directions with their other parents again after school.

In the midst of all of this, my nephew will be staying after school to complete make-up work, so I’ll have to pick him up when he’s finished.

We’re a very busy family, but it doesn’t seem to let up when there’s a day off from school. It actually feels like we’re cramming more into the week in comparison to a week where there are no days off from school. Last week, when they all had Friday off from school, was no exception.

Being a reality mom means a lot of things to a lot of moms. To me, it means facing the reality of a busy schedule without complaints because it’s a regular part of life . . . a reality. Besides, if we sat around home all the time, we’d be very boring and wouldn’t have much of an identity. Right? Right!!

What does your upcoming week’s schedule look like? Will you be cramming more into the week, or will your routine be relatively undisturbed?
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Sharing on the Holidays

October 12th 2008 16:53

Because we’re a blended family in every way imaginable, we have to share the children on every other holiday. This is difficult because, of course, we want the house filled with the celebratory laughter and conversation from the entire family on the holidays . . . we don’t want to send them in so many different directions:

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Media Limitations: Why or Why Not?

October 11th 2008 15:56

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to media limitations ever since we welcomed our nephew into our household. There is a lot of debate surrounding this subject for obvious reasons. Many adults believe there is no need to limit how often a child uses their computer, the television, an iPod, text features on a cell phone, and so on.

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Children and Journal Writing

October 8th 2008 16:35

I’ve been encouraging my children to express their feelings through art over the years and, now that they’re writing more and more in school, I’m encouraging expression through journal writing. Because we’re a VERY blended family, it’s confusing and frustrating at times for us all and sorting out these feelings in journals is a great outlet.

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Progress Reports: Good With the Bad

October 8th 2008 15:24

It’s that time of year again! Next week, we’ll be receiving four progress reports, one for each child in the household. The schools (the elementary for the younger children, and the high school for our nephew) will be holding parent and teacher conferences for each child to discuss their progress. We’ve always really enjoyed these meetings because our children typically do quite well.

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Liar, Liar Pants on Fire!

October 7th 2008 12:13

The entire dynamic of our household is changing daily. Our children are getting older and wising up to the fact that lying will:
· Help them avoid punishment


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Weather-Run Living

October 2nd 2008 12:00

As much as the kids would still love to play, it looks like there will be no soccer game tonight. Practice was cancelled last night, as well. The rain is pouring down in sheets, so it’s not exactly “playable” weather. The fields are soaked, so even if it weren’t raining it would be too wet to play.

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October Art With the Kids

October 1st 2008 13:09

It feels like a two pots of coffee kind of day. The rainy, gray weather always seems to do that for me. We woke to the sound of the pouring rain and, despite the fact that it has let up, the clouds remain . . . threatening more showers in minutes or hours.

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Raising Awareness: Misunderstood Medical Conditions

September 30th 2008 17:56

As a reality mom, there are many things to take into consideration during the raising of our children. This includes concerns with health, medical issues, and helping our children understand the medical issues of other children.

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Homework: Encourage Good Study Habits

September 29th 2008 22:38

Right now, my nephew is going through some changes. Changes in his routine, changes in his school, changes in his friends, and changes in his expectations with school top the list. It’s an upward battle, but worth every bit of the struggle. Why? It’s important to encourage these positive changes, so we’re not giving up.

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Early to Rise?

September 29th 2008 22:16

Lately that phrase, early to rise, has been the exact opposite of my abilities. I’ve been struggling to get out of bed every morning despite sleeping like a rock at night. It’s very strange. Usually, I’m “up and at ‘em” in the morning and raring to go throughout he day.

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Have Fun, Forgo Homework Hazards

September 25th 2008 12:28

Can homework really be fun for a high school student? Is it possible to have a day without dread, fighting, and assignment avoidance? Will there be a time when smiles, rather than frowns, appear when the word homework is uttered?

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