My son, Rhett, is stuffing his feet into the wrong shoes when he asks me if I’m going to play football with him and his dad. I’m in the hallway on the way to my office, but I pause to look at him—the familiar knots in my stomach bubbling up. “I have a few things... Continue Reading →
Nine years ago, love looked like counting down the minutes at work on Friday, then breaking the speed limit to get to the ranch. My stomach full of butterflies—all to spend the weekend with my boyfriend in the calving barn. We worked side by side, our love growing over manure, afterbirth, and newborn calves. My... Continue Reading →
The chair rocked back and forth, my baby’s sniffles the only sound in the quiet room. In the dark, I looked down, and she lifted her head off my chest and smiled at me. I started sobbing. At 15 months old, Nora’s not a baby anymore. But she’s still a baby to me. And in... Continue Reading →
Allie, my five-year-old, watches me from the kitchen table. “How can you carry both things?” she asks. Her big brown eyes are wide. “Moms can carry lots of things,” I say, holding a box of Rice Krispies in one hand and a gallon of milk in the other. I continue walking toward the table, placing... Continue Reading →
“I was a high school counselor before I got married.”“I have a master’s degree." Years ago, I sometimes found myself trying to drop these sentences into conversations. I wasn’t necessarily trying to brag. But as a new mom in a new place who no longer worked full-time—I worried what people would think about me. I... Continue Reading →
This is my first summer as a mom of three, and I feel like I’m failing. The smell of burnt hamburger fills the room, intensified by my baby’s sobs from the playmat on the floor. My shoulders rise; the tension is palpable. “I know, Nora, we’re past your naptime. I’m sorry,” I say, but her... Continue Reading →
I’m tired. And I know the crew is too. I hate how easily I snap at the kids at this point of harvest.In the brief moments when Rich is home, all three kids climb all over him, clambering for his attention. I usually stand in the background, watching. Partly because I love seeing how much... Continue Reading →
The school supply list has been printed off and sitting on my desk for the last month. I’ve been a little excited about getting to shop for two kids this fall for back-to-school. Partly because I felt like Allie would be excited to pick things out, while Rhett doesn’t seem to have any preferences. And... Continue Reading →
“Mom, when’s she gonna be bigger?” Allie asked, looking at Nora. “What do you mean? She is big! And getting bigger every day!” I said, already defensive with Nora’s birthday only a few days away. “No, she’s not,” Allie insisted. On that day, I didn’t say it, but all I could think of was at... Continue Reading →
I unload the last box from my car and close the door to the apartment behind me. Turning back, I remember to lock the deadbolt, then collapse on the floor between the boxes. My mom walks into the living room, “Well, it’s all in! Do you want to start unpacking now or eat dinner first?” ... Continue Reading →
stacybronec.com 