C1 (5-year old boy) and C2 (3-year old girl) had been picking at each other all day. The amount of tattling, screaming, and general asshole behavior was getting at my last nerve. This irritating behavior had escalated to a full-blown game of "bitch, slap, whine, repeat". I was exhausted. I had the brilliant (you know if I describe myself … Continue reading When Your Kids Act as a Cautionary Tale of the Importance of Birth Control.
Divorce is painful. At times it is needed. The pain of losing that relationship is unimaginable. By no means am I minimizing the loss the actual participants of the marriage are experiencing. But there are other casualties to divorce. Friend relationships are severed in the process. Being that friend that is cut due to divorce … Continue reading Losing a friend to their divorce.
There are people you meet in life that you simply have an instant connection with. Certain vibes click and your impression of that person is solidified. Typically people talk about this connection as a positive one but the negative is just as prevalent. Sometimes you meet someone that you simply detest. They have not done … Continue reading Instant dislike: Just admit it’s a thing.
Written by Shasta Westaby Edited by RNplusmommy May 16th, 2017 was a day that turned the lives of so many upside down. Seriously, a damn tornado flipped my community. 83-miles of damaged homes, barns, crops, woods, businesses. It was and is overwhelming. I won't minimize my anxiety over storm season but I get to remember … Continue reading A tornado was my wind of change: Seriously, it took a freaking tornado.
We're supposed to be honest. We're also supposed to be nice. Here lies a real dilemma. Many times honesty is not nice. So we find ourselves stuck in a bizarre limbo between what we say and what we actually want to say. For example... Parenting advice: Parenting advice is frequently unsolicited. Unwanted and unneeded advice … Continue reading When you are only honest in your head: Mental replies versus reality.
Mother's Day has come and gone. The remnants of the day can still be found in the wilting flowers, Hallmark cards, and brunch leftovers. Another less talked about Mother's Day residue is the remaining negative feelings that some people experience. Mother's Day can be difficult for a lot of different reasons. The struggles of infertility, … Continue reading I hope you’re ok: An open letter to those who struggle on Mother’s Day
The nursing profession is complex. We do try to be the people our patients need and deserve but we are only human. There were plenty of examples of RNs showing their humanity... here's a few. - We probably don't practice what we preach. An RN has the responsibility to promote the highest level of health … Continue reading Confessions of an RN: We are only human.
Let me begin by explaining a few important contributing factors to The Hairy Nipple Incident. 1. I am a nurse. Because of this my son is well versed in anatomy. 2. My son enjoys arguing. Especially when it is an argument he knows he can win. 3. My son is 6-years old and 6-year olds … Continue reading The Hairy Nipple Incident: Trying to parent with a straight face.
I have experienced times in my parenting life that I have been asked to let "all my friends know" about whatever event or another. At these points I typically just stare off into a distance and look dumbfounded. Most notably my Tired Not Dead partner recently asked me to invite "my people" to a Tired … Continue reading The Social Isolation of Motherhood: The transition from social butterfly to diapers.
Words easily fail to adequately describe emotions. Displaying sympathy, empathy, and a general desire to show support can be difficult. Phone calls are awkward, texts are juvenile, emails are open to the interpretation of the reader (let's be honest, when we are at our worst so are our interpretation skills). Cards can be sweet and … Continue reading When in doubt, send snacks: Advocating for the return of the proverbial fruit basket.
Tired Not Dead 