A Working Mom's Secret to Success on Valentine's Day: Manage Expectations...

Lady celebrating Valentine's Day at Eddie V's "To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance." - Oscar Wilde  Greetings from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! Things have been busy. I am still a working mom of three, working full time who is trying to make a difference. I do a lot of things and try to be present so that I can learn from them. I share them on this blog so that we can learn together. Below are some thoughts, hacks, and/or lessons that I have learned from navigating my world. The roots of Valentine’s Day roots go back to St. Valentine, a priest in the early Christian Church known for his compassion and commitment to love. He was a defender of faith, hope, and kindness, reminding us that love is not just a feeling—it’s an action. And, this year I have learned that being free on Valentine's Day is better than living a lie. Valentine's Day, like Christmas, comes every year. However, unlike Christmas, Valentine's Day is about romantic love an...

The End of School As We Know it, COVID19 Lessons

Family enjoying picnic

So, the school year is finally over and I am ecstatic! The above photo is of our celebration. Balancing work, school, and the stressors of day-to-day life combined with the additional stress of being Black in America during this time has been quite a lot. (Click here to read about our experience.) 

Still, I cannot help but be proud of my older kids. Considering everything, they are the rock stars. They are the ones who did their work and focused. And, yes, the focus required prodding and there were sometime tears.  Still, they kept at it every day. They dealt with mommy school and they thrived.

Boy graduating Kindergarten

Our daughter completed fourth grade. We began her virtual school five weeks before her school had anything. We did math, language arts and science. We read a novel, did equations, and experiments. We supplemented with YouTube and online classes we could find. In a word, we made it work. She even discovered new talents, which she mentioned in an online interview that was also aired on KDKA. (To see it, click here.) 

Our son completed Montesorri Kindergarten during quarantine, as you can see in the above photo. (I have know idea why he took a knee, but I was proud.) He rallied, with a little help. :-) He was less than enthused about being without his structure, teacher, and friends. We tried to mimic his classroom as much as possible though. We bought Montessori equipment, gave him choices, and had circle time. I know that I am not the teacher that his gifted teacher is. I shouted when I should have smiled. I used bribery and other inappropriate motivational tactics because I was working while teaching. 

If you didn't know. that is a nearly impossible task.   

We went through this like so many other families. However, I am still proud of my brood. We averted failure and tragedy. We learned and loved. We took each day as it came. And like Gloria Gainor would say, "We survived!!! Hey! Hey!" As I mentioned previously, the baby seems to love this new set up.  (To read about the baby living his best life, click here.) While I know that the day of reckoning will come, we shall enjoy this time while we have it.

Here's to summer!


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