A Mother’s Day Gift from My Grandma

kids playing with water guns on a spring day

  My  grandmother (who passed away several years ago) gave me a bracelet for Mother's Day.  This year! I was as surprised as you, but on Saturday night, I found a white box with a paper lid and it said, "To mom.  From FringeKid (only she used her real name) and great-grandma." Inside was a bright gold, costume jewelry bracelet, taken right out of my grandmother's jewelry box. I wore it all day.     I'm so very glad my children had the chance to know my grandparents.  My kids loved them, and they love their memories with them, even if my grandmother … [Read more...]

To the Mom who Doesn’t Recognize The Woman in The Mirror

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms who don't quite feel like themselves

  "You're just not yourself.  You haven't been yourself in years." I remember someone saying that to me during my early years of mommy-hood. I didn't really understand what they were trying to say to me back then.  I knew I was still me inside, but I was also overwhelmed, crazily hormonal, and tired, really, really tired. The other night, my daughter asked to look at some old pictures.  We went through the scrapbooks first and then I pulled down the box.  You know the one.  I'm sure you probably have a "box" sitting on your closet shelf too.  It's the place you keep all … [Read more...]

In Honor of Mother’s Day – Click at Your Own Risk

Lessons from Mama - Things my Mother taught me.

In honor of Mother's Day, I present to you the best of mothering on Fringe.     Click at your own risk.     … [Read more...]

Stringent Glue Gun Laws for Flowers

Magnolia Flowers - He makes all things beautiful in His time.

My world is abloom and I could not be happier. With all these blooms come bees.  Bees are the Fringe Family's mortal enemy.  They turn Bee Boy into a swollen red tomato who cannot breath and has to fight for his life. On any given day, you can find me standing on the porch with a tennis racket in one hand a flip-flop in the other. I can swat a bumble-bee outta the park, baby. I've never been so fearless of insects.  Before my son's life was on the line, you could find me running down the road doing the shake, toss, and tumble all because I heard a buzz in my ear. And let's … [Read more...]

No Fuss Parenting – Bedtime

5 Reason I put my Kids to bed Early - Mostly because I need to keep my sanity.

    I put my kids to bed early, especially when they were younger. I'm not gonna lie to you, this was mostly for my sanity, but I believe it was good for them too.  The jury is still out. I'm terrible at keeping schedules, and I'm not even sure if I have any routines in my life.  Each day is a new adventure and there's no telling what may happen before noon, but the one thing I know for certain is my children's bedtime.     5 Reasons I Put my Kids to Bed Early   Kids need sleep. I need mommy time. My husband and I need grown-up … [Read more...]

Say it With A Card

How to Never Miss another Birthday or Anniversary again - send a card

  I should have sent a card! I'm embarrassed by how many times I said that just this year. I have a mental impairment when it comes to cards.   I like them, sometimes I buy them in bulk, but I rarely sign my name to one and put it in the mail. Recently, I found four sympathy cards tucked into a pile of papers. 4 - FOUR - 4 That is a crying shame my friends.  I can't even remember when I bought them or who they should have been sent out to.  I feel terrible! I hope you will forgive me (whomever you are). ****** It gets worse. Every year we forget my in-law's … [Read more...]

No Fuss Parenting – Teach Kids to Sit Still

How I taught my kids to sit still in church

    Teaching my kids to sit still is the best thing I ever did as a parent, and by sit still I really mean to sit quietly on my lap or beside me with minimal fidgeting. Let's face it, sitting still is hard work, even for adults. This teaching process happened by accident.  It wasn't a genius act on my part. We were attending a church with a very small nursery.  They had lots of babies and had to make a rule that all children over the age of one year (you heard me right - 12 months) had to sit with their parents.  The children who could walk were becoming a danger to … [Read more...]

No Fuss Parenting – Discipline

Discipline does more than correct bad behavior, it teaches good behavior - Win your Child's Heart

Part 1 - No Fuss Parenting   ***********     Discipline divides. It draws a line in the playground sand, and separates the good parents from the bad parents. At least that's how we think of it, more often than not. I've been at the playground when a child acts up and twenty pairs of eyes stare holes into one tired woman a few kids call mom. Better yet, I've been in church when my son was sword fighting with some paper towel rolls and managed to poke another kid in the eye. Friends, it is worst case scenario when an adult pulls you aside and tells you to … [Read more...]

No Fuss Parenting

No Fuss Parenting - How I am Rearing my Kids

The internet is chock-full of parenting advice, maternal coping mechanisms, balms for the soul, guilt assuagers, rest for the weary, and pick-me-ups for the gloomy. It is an overwhelming place for this mom who doesn't put that much thought into her daily routine of rearing her children.   No Cost English Lesson:  We rear children and raise cattle.  It's not how we usually speak, but it's a rule.  Every time I break it, I feel guilty.   Does that sound terrible? Should I be heaping guilt upon my head like I heap ice-cream into bowls? Am I bad mom who lacks all the … [Read more...]

On Parenting, Boys, & Top-Secret Information

FringeKid in Black & white

There's a lot going on in my head and none of it is making its way down through my fingers and out the keyboard. It's spring break in my part of the world and my daughter is in Myrtle Beach with her best friend's family.  Ya, that was a difficult decision.  It's a post in itself, but I haven't written it yet. I've been too busy trying to have some fun with my son during the first rainy week of spring. No complaints from me.  I'm just glad it's not snowing. Sorry to all my friends in Minnesota, Kansas, and those other places that are buried in feet of … [Read more...]