The Mature Mom

In today’s current climate, the level of day to day stress can be, well, overwhelming to say the least.  Between getting up at the crack of dawn to sneak in a shower before getting the kids ready for virtual school then getting them something to eat then powering up the computers then monitoring their virtual schooling while simultaneously working from home then getting dinner ready then bath time then bed time…Well.  As you can see figure out, it’s pretty overwhelming.  And now, more than ever, it’s important to find ways to keep your sanity and mental health intact.

Welcome to my life!  This blog is basically my own personal virtual diary to my day to day life.  I'll be talking about typical motherhood and parenting issues, but also tap into my love of fashion and my personal fashion evolution as a mom and a "woman of a certain age".  Architecture, interior design and home decor are also favorite topics for me, particularly since I'm an architect by trade and so those areas have all been a part of my everyday life for years now.  Beyond that, I always love to document and share our family vacations, which may not be an easy feat to accomplish but are always well worth it in the end.  And on the topic of destinations, I'll also try and share my local "go-to" spots in the Miami / South Florida area, through the eyes of someone who is still very much "new" to the area.  The transition from life in New York City to life in Miami has not been easy but hopefully you'll join me on this journey to adjust to my new normal.

Virtual schooling is NO FREAKING JOKE, and no one understands that more now than me.  I've never been tempted to homeschool my kids but I think this whole teaching at home during this COVID-19 quarantine has fully solidified my resistance to this.  Between one link for math, one link for vocabulary, one link for social studies/science and one link for reading, the entire system can be cumbersome for anyone to navigate, particularly children.  I will say though, after weeks of this, I think we're finally getting our stride and getting into a rhythm for how to navigate it all.  And I have to admit, there are fun aspects of a home curriculum and that is the childhood favorite: Art Class.

So in these chaotic times, while most of us are in quarantine, I think it's safe to say that many of us have been trying to find a way to use this time of "reflection" in a way that's most productive.  Some people have caught up on their reading, some people have taken up or revisited hobbies, some have reignited long lost friendships and others (like my husband and my myself) decide to take on home improvement projects.  Before we were quarantined, we had employed an old school contractor (the best kind of contractor in my opinion) who would end up renovating our children's bathroom into a modern slick show piece of a room.  We were thrilled...so thrilled in fact that we decided, to hire them to renovate our master bathroom and what better time to conquer this project than RIGHT NOW.

Throwback Tuesday doesn't need be just another excuse to post an old before & after photo, or an old vacation photo (although there's NOTHING wrong with either and I'll have a post on THAT next week).  But there are other kinds of throwbacks and for this HGTV addict and architect by trade, I love nothing more than an interior design/architecture "Before & After".  So what better opportunity than today's "Throwback Thursday" to take it back to a couple of weeks ago when we, at long last, renovated our kids' bathroom.

One of the benefits of living in an area like Broward County is all the amenities and resources available to families, children specifically. This was one the major contributing factors as to why we elected to live in this county, when I received my job relocation to South Florida.  My husband and I try as often as often as possible to spend the weekends continuously exploring our surroundings, in order to spend quality time with the kids and also for use to familiarize ourselves with what we have at our disposal.  Plus, I mean honestly.  When else, other than the weekends, are we really going to be able to spend time with these kids?

In any case, fortunately, often time we don’t have to necessarily go too far (or spend much money) to find great affordable options on the weekends. For instance, back in the Fall, we attended the annual StoryBook Festival at our local Broward County Library.

There’s a lot of talk among parents and individuals in general of which gender is easier/harder to raise: boys versus girls.  Are boys harder to raise?  With their bouts of testosterone fueled aggression and fragile egos?  Or are girls harder to raise?  With their eventual entrance into puberty and everything that comes with it?

Well, I can’t really speak to any of that with any sort of authority (my daughter Natalie is going to be 6 this year and my son Lucas will be 5).  What I CAN speak on are some of the concerns I already have NOW at age SIX with my daughter, just based on observation alone of what I call “little kid dynamics”.  While observing the past year of kindergarten, I’ve come to notice how certain personality aspects start to emerge, from girls specifically, EARLY ON and how pack mentality starts to form (otherwise know as the “mean girl” syndrome).