Jul
02
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
Nostalgia. Growing up I didn’t understand the hurtful twinge, wistfulness and soft yearning for time gone by — or the need to connect with someone who could relate.
More so, I was irritated with my mom’s frequent attempts to share her memories of Fresno. Because, gawh, how many times did I need to hear that Fulton Mall was ‘the place to be’ before Fashion Fair? Or that’s where Harpain’s Dairy used to be?
And she’d already mentioned, like every time we were on it, that the drive from Fresno to Clovis on Herndon was all orchards. That it felt like forever to get from one city to the next.
Of course, I couldn’t imagine it being that way. By the time I knew Herndon, it was a six-lane...
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Feb
02
Posted by
besttech
Bed rest lost its novelty after three hours. I thought I’d enjoy snuggling on the couch and reconnecting with Oprah, snoozing and reading for at least a few days.
Instead the day yawned in front of me with empty, heavy hours. Daytime TV and repetitive commercials of “Slap Chop” guy who exclaimed “wait until you see my nuts” did little to stave off the doctor’s stern warning earlier that morning.
“Can I work from home?”
Dr. Oswald squinted while he looked directly at me from his rolling medical chair. He responded in a harsh voice that sounded like a father scolding a child. “You are on the maximum amount of medicine allowed. I’m adding a new pill. We can...
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Jan
02
Posted by
besttech
Please green the vaccines. I’m asking as an undecided, expecting mother who already has a child with autism.
Statistics show that I’m 10 times more likely to have another child on the spectrum. Only it’s not that simple. It’s thought environmental factors could trigger autism in an already genetically predisposed baby. My baby.
This leads me to vaccines. My great-grandmother was the first person I knew who refused to vaccinate her children. She believed they killed a little boy on her block. At the time, I understood her apprehension. Her children were born in the 30s. Who knew what harmful substance was in vaccines then?
When my 15-year-old son was born, I automatically took him to get his...
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Dec
01
Posted by
besttech
By Genevieve Hinson MotherOfConfusion.com
OK, I give in. I don’t have a green thumb, I have a dumb thumb.
It’s taken me about 15 years and a lot of Jimmy frowns, groans and exasperated sighs to accept this.
The latest stint came from a mad-overwhelming-urge to plant, plant and plant. We had just bought our house (our very first) and I didn’t want to miss out on the summer growing season. Exhausted by painting and moving (and frankly broke because … you see we just bought our first house and it’s California) I went with flower seeds instead of luscious homegrown tomatoes, summer squash and zucchini...
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Oct
29
Posted by
besttech
By Genevieve Hinson MotherOfConfusion.com
(MCT)
Adoptive parents are perfect parents. At least that is what I sense the stereotypical thought is. We’ve waited a long time, have a lot of money and have learned extensively about child development. Somewhere during the process we have discovered our inner perfect parent and know the politically correct and right way to respond to our tantrum tossing toddler and sometimes snarling teenager. We’ve figured out the delicate balance of letting our children explore, learn from their experiences and somehow manage to keep them from safe from the lurking dangers that surround them.
I will admit I did find myself lured into swimming the honey-scented sea ...
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Oct
22
Posted by
besttech
By Genevieve Hinson MotherOfConfusion.com
Autumn hasn’t arrived at my house. It has been delayed, waylaid and halted. It’s been forced into limbo by my pregnancy.
How can that possibly happen? I haven’t baked the first batch of traditional pumpkin bread yet. I’ve been lagging. The morning sickness, aversions and exhaustion have held me back from cooking dinner much less busting out the flour, sugar, eggs and canned pumpkin for a bake-off.
I’ve been such a bump on the couch Jimmy hasn’t asked about it.
Of course, to show off, autumn has arrived to our neighbor’s houses. It’s apparent by their fancy-smancy Halloween decorations. Pathetically my house remains...
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Oct
08
Posted by
besttech
By Genevieve Hinson MotherOfConfusion.com
Language around our house can be salty. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like we’re the Osbournes and the f-bomb is dropped every other word, but there is the occasional curse-word muttering or exclamation.
I’ll admit, in my younger years, I wasn’t so careful to guard my language around my oldest son, Jay. He was speech-delayed until he was 4 and later didn’t seem interested in turning a colorful phrase.
It wasn’t until he was 11, and his dad overheard a front yard cuss-war between him and a neighborhood kid, that I clued in to Jay’s “expanded” vocabulary.
On the other hand, Craig, while...
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Oct
07
Posted by
besttech
By Genevieve Hinson MotherOfConfusion.com
Naming a baby isn’t going to be easy. I’m 11 weeks pregnant and already hitting a roadblock.
Just so you know, I’m not unreasonable. In fact, I’m fairly flexible. My guidelines for names are: It can’t be in the top 100 of the Social Security popular names list, it needs to sound pleasing and Jimmy must love it too.
Unfortunately, the last rule is the sugar in my engine. Sweet at first, but then stand back … it’s going to explode.
One Saturday morning while sitting at the table, I asked Jimmy, “What about Liam?”
“Liam?” Jimmy crossed his arms and frowned. “No...
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Sep
26
Posted by
besttech
By Genevieve Hinson MotherOfConfusion.com
Babies make me sick, literally. It’s been well over a decade since I last felt the lurches, gags and aversions of early pregnancy.
With Jay, I hugged the porcelain for seven months. My astounding ability to become ill at the smell of salt, watching a McDonald’s commercial, or at simply nothing became family legend and lore.
My inability to keep food down became so intense I lost 16 pounds in two weeks and had to be hydrated intravenously. The constant retching took its toll on my skin and eyes too. They were red and patchy with busted blood vessels.
The only other contender for my attention was exhaustion....
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Aug
26
Posted by
besttech
Genevieve Hinson MotherOfConfusion.com
Dear God, Mornings arrive too early during the school year.
I vowed this summer to have a better attitude about. Even if I wanted to rage “shut the hell up already” at the alarm clock or bludgeon Mr. Coffee with a wooden spatula until he spit the brew out faster — I’d not let the kids know.
I’d be chipper and welcome them into the day with love.
Of course, it would be challenging. Jay and Craig are as happy to see the first rays of light as they are having squished dog poo between their bare toes. I’d have to be the shiny leader amongst the grousers.
I’d have to set the...
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