Christmas Shenanigans

Well, the holidays once again flew by, as they often do, but man, this year seemed particularly quick because Thanksgiving was so early. As a parent with two little ones, the holidays are definitely different than they used to be. Your time is no longer your own, so forget relaxing, eating and drinking until your heart’s content…or not content. 😉 

With the start of the holiday season this year, our circus transitioned from crazy to pure chaos. Hopefully my holiday season takeaways provide a bit of levity, make you feel like a bigger rockstar parent than me or at least make you realize you weren’t alone. Enjoy! 

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Toddler Toots, Rx for Belly Laughs

Upon picking Pookie up from preschool the other day, I realized bath time was going to be a necessary evil that couldn’t wait until that night, which is when I would’ve bathed Punkin too. If you don’t know me, I am a planner and perfectionist, and I like checking off boxes. Give me an idea, and I’ll make it happen…at least that’s how I used to be. However, with the way my day had panned out, nothing had fallen into place nicely. When does it ever fall nicely into place anymore? It’s a constant battle: Kathryn versus her expectations—Kathryn 0 and Unmet Expectations 10. In case you’re wondering, Punkin did not get a bath that evening, and mama had some vino! 

While I do enjoy the “lotion song” we sing after baths, I hate actual bath time! “Stop splashing! Be careful with your sister! Stop licking the tub walls! (I am not sure if I can accurately remember the last time I cleaned the bathtub.) Put your head back; put your head back; put your head back. Stop eating the soap! Quick, get out…sister pooped!” You know, all the things you will say a billion times before the kids are old enough to tend to their own hygiene…whenever that may be. I hear boys still don’t have it figured out by the time they hit puberty. Good luck to you mamas of boys. 😉

Anyway, when I picked her up that day, she was coatless and bootless (at least she had her tennis shoes on), and she was jumping/running through muddy, icy puddles. Thanks Peppa Pig. Continue reading “Toddler Toots, Rx for Belly Laughs”

From Nun and Too Many Dates to Family of Four

Hi! Welcome to Juggling Work Mama! I hope you enjoy this inaugural post, where I’ll introduce you to myself and my circus. You can also learn more About Me

Up until Freshman year of high school, I wanted to be a nun. In sixth grade I remember writing to the Carmelite sisters and receiving a packet of pamphlets and other information in the mail. I am not sure I ever made it through all of the information they sent me; maybe a Rosary or a little token of some sort would have gone farther in the mind of 12-year-old. 

Then I entered high school, where I discovered boys and a love for babysitting. The convent suddenly became a distant phase, while my desire for a husband and family grew. By the time I graduated college I wanted to be married, but every guy I thought was THE ONE didn’t feel the same way about me. Man…the drama! So, I went to Costa Rica for a year and volunteered as an English teacher and then decided to move to Washington D.C., where I lived with my cousins and started a career. I was there for three years, which was long enough. I remember standing on the metro (subway) late one evening, seeing everyone glued to their phones and not one wearing a wedding band. I had to get out. 

In August of 2011, my best friend and I traveled to Spain, where we hiked 100 kilometers of El Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage walk to Santiago de Compostela (the same town I lived in for a semester in college). It was during that pilgrimage I heard God tell me I’d get back to Colorado, and I’d find my husband. After the grueling, but beautiful, experience of El Camino we braved World Youth Day, where we became the old gals, and rightfully so. We were traveling with a priest and a group of wonderful college kids (my best friend was a missionary at a college campus at the time), and while World Youth Day had its pleasant moments (like seeing the Pope), I remember the heat, crowds and lack of amenities more so. It’s called World YOUTH Day for a reason.

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