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The Way it Really Is Mom Blog

I help moms through sharing honest personal experiences, practical tips, and helpful printables through my blog, The Way it Really Is.com. I’m a stay-at-home homeschool mom of 6-year-old identical twin boys and a 8-year-old boy. My mission in life is to help others, as I did in my former career as a school psychologist, and now do with my blog. Join me and see what The Way it Really Is, is all about!

Finding it Hard to Celebrate Birthdays with a Traumatic Birth Story
Featured Post

The Pressure of Kids Birthdays

. Hi Reader, Today is my twins' 7th birthday! We celebrated them this weekend with a birthday party and are celebrating their actual birthday today after school. While I know I should be all happy for them, and I am overall, I also find myself feeling so much pressure to make everything perfect all day for them and ignore the lingering birth trauma that I relive for up to a week before, after, and during their birthday. Regardless of how I feel, because I know this isn't about me, it's about...

Lunchbox Notes and Jokes plus homeschooling resources

. Hi Reader, How's the new school year going now that we're into it a bit? We're still getting acclimated with the new online platform our school is using this year and the full schedule doesn't start til next week but starting to get the hang of it all. Today I have some resources for you whether your kids go to school in-person or you homeschool them. The Lunchbox Notes and Jokes is one of my favorite products I have, it's so fun to be able to send along a funny joke or little note to your...

How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen Book Review

. Hi Reader, Have your kids been moodier than usual lately? Or is it just mine? With the changing of seasons, end of summer, and back to school-ness of it all, we're having a tough time over here with some behaviors. I'm the first to admit that even as a former school psychologist, I'm at a loss with my kids sometimes. Constant fighting between them, they're blowing up over basically nothing, etc. is a common occurrence, especially with one of my kids, and it's affecting our whole family of...

Crafts for Preschoolers and Kids 5+

. Hi Reader, How is your week starting out so far? For us, it's the last week before school starts, so we're soaking up the free time. However, I also started getting a few hours for my very part-time psychometrist job so I've been busy with that. By very part time, I mean that I hadn't heard from my boss for almost 3 months before getting two new clients this week. Also, over the past 9 months of working, I've worked a TOTAL of 55 hours. So VERY part time. For us though, it works for now....

Back to School Planners, Chore/Responsibility Charts, and More!

. Hi Reader, I can't believe summer is almost over, can you? Here in Minnesota most schools haven't started yet but I hear some local districts are starting next week already, which seems so early. Our kids' online school doesn't start until after Labor Day, which is nice. I realize though that much of the schools around the country have already started! If that's you, I hope it's going well so far. I'm a little nervous for the first week or so back. Sure, they're enrolled in the same...

Healthy Relationship Tips: Scheduling Time Together and Apart

. Hi Reader, How are you doing? My husband and I just celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary over the weekend. We kept things low key but had a nice time. It's nice that our kids are the ages that they can be downstairs watching a football game on TV while we spend a couple hours chatting and working on a craft project together he came up with. We even dressed up, which doesn't happen often! Of course, after a couple hours the kids started fighting and we had to break them up BUT it was...

Guess What?! I'm NOT a perfect parent and that's ok!

. Hi Reader, How are you doing? I've been feeling like I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Sorry for the graphic imagery if you're a person like me who visualizes what you hear. Really though, I feel like I'm running around doing everything at home, in terms of my chronic health conditions, and my businesses. Yet...I still feel like I'm not gaining much traction any aspect of my life. If you are feeling that way, or have in the past, I just want you to know you're not...

Fun Family Adventures with Little Kids for All Seasons

. Hi Reader, How are you doing? I don't know about you, but it feels like the summer has flown by. It's been busy and mainly good but quick nonetheless. If you're trying to think of ideas to do with your kids to soak up the last part of summer, check out this blog post written by my husband about all the adventures he does with our boys on Daddy Sunday/Son-Day. (I get Sundays off and he's with the boys, it's great.) He wrote this a few years ago but they still partake in most of these...

Our boys playing cards when it was too icky to go outside during our vacation. Bummer!

. Hi Reader, How'd the past week go for you? While on our annual cabin vacation we had a mixed bag of a week, half the week was warm but full of wildfire smoke and the other half of the week was chilly enough we were inside. Rather disappointing. Not quite the week of rest and relaxation at the beach we all needed. Oh well, back to 'normal' this week. The kids have swimming lessons over the next couple weeks and we plan on spending time after the lessons at the beach/swim pond they take...

Our family at the beach

. Hi Reader, How'd the past week go for you? To be honest, it was a rough one for me, but I'll spare you the details. The good thing is we're on our annual family vacation to a cabin at a resort in Northern Minnesota. We look forward to it every year. Unfortunately, this year, our trip is riddled by dangerous levels of wildfire smoke from the Canadian Wildfires and thunderstorms. Ugh. So much for a whole week at the beach! Nevertheless, we've been outside at the beach as much as possible....