Hot Mess Mommy Express

Today was one of those mornings. Usually by Friday, the Zehnle family is just over it all. From the getting up early, to the morning routine, drop off/pickup, work/school, we all long for a day off and a day to stay home. Rocking the morning routine solo is always an adventure. Michael goes in to work super early and also makes time to feed and take the dog out, which I so much appreciate. That leaves me with the three kiddos and all of the things to accomplish before we head out the door.  I always feel like I've been on a whirlwind adventure before my workday ever begins. Today was no exception. I try my best not to show it and bring my professional self in to work, but inside my brain at times, you can find me screaming. The headache I started my workday with is a result of a morning full of chaos, a week full of it really. Picture this. 1. The kids were fighting, yelling and screaming at each other. This is pre-coffee mind you, so my tolerance was extremely low and by Friday, I

 Let me preface with this. The Zehnle family was not looking for a dog. For over a decade, I remained firm in my stance against getting a big dog. The commitment, costs, added responsibility to our already loaded plate, my need for clean, etc, were all reasons why I never thought that adding a big dog to our family would be a good idea. I also believe that sometimes four legged family members find you at the right time, when you are not even looking. I'll admit, hearing Michael's half of that phone call made my skin crawl at the idea. However, I saw his face. And in that moment, I knew it was happening. I can't be the villain forever and he was willing to step up and take care of her.  After that phone call, I had the next couple of weeks to wrap my head around the idea. Ready or not, Betty was coming to live with The Zehnles. I'll be honest, I lived in total denial for those couple of weeks and prayed that things would fall through. That Saturday morning arrived though

Usually when I say "never say never," I'm talking to mom friends about minivans. In this particular situation, the phrase applies to something completely different. Dogs. Ladies and gentleman, allow me to introduce you to the latest addition to the Zehnle family....Betty. Now rewind with me as I take you back to the times I said "never" and why I chose to push my personal feelings aside and welcome this pretty, mischievous puppy into our already chaotic family life.  Raising Kids - Teaching Responsibility One of the most important aspects that lead to the decision of welcoming Betty into our family is that I finally feel like my kids are at the right age. I can't imaging trying to train and nurture a puppy at the same time as taking care of littles! I know some of you are or have done just that and I tip my mom hat to you, because that is something I didn't have the motivation to do! Rhylan just turned eleven and has wanted a dog for such a long time. I

"You gotta start romanticizing your life." I recently stumbled upon this statement and it truly resonated with me. I've often been called a relentless optimist. I try to see the good in every situation and every person. While I believe that this is a strong quality to have, it can also be a negative one in that not everyone you come into contact with has the same intentions. I have had to learn to stop myself from investing too much of my time and energy into negative energies and situations that are not good for my mental health. While this trait has it's negative side, I believe that it's at least 90% positive! Now that I've explained my personal logic, let me share just a few ways that I romanticize certain aspects of my life.  Mom Life Let's discuss life with kids. Do I love being a mom? Yes. Do I always  like  parenting? No. However, even on the hard days, I'm so thankful for our kids. What if instead of focusing on the messes, meltdowns and mista

As moms it's important for us to instill in our children the things that we wish we would've had when we were kids. Am I licensed to say that? Absolutely not! Speaking from personal experience though, I find this to be more important as my children enter each new chapter. Where is this thought coming from? Buckle up, because I'm bringing you an experience from none other than little miss Everly. She's our resident drama queen and self-appointed "baby of the family" by a mere twelve minutes after her sister!  Yesterday was a rare day...one where I actually got to pick my kids up from school. Here in the midwest, winter can be a real (for lack of a bitter word and with cleanliness for little ears in mind) biotch. Our current winter biotch has prevented bus transport to our iced over subdivision. I was thrilled to get the chance to do it. I splurged on a coffee on my ride home, cranked up some tunes and told myself "this is what it's like" to pick y

It's been since July of 2020 that I (metaphorically) picked up a pen and expressed my thoughts. For a long time, I found it therapeutic, a great way to get things off of my chest, hopefully inspire other moms out there and for lack of better phrase...keep it real. Then the pandemic happened. Our entire world, routine and lives as we knew it were completely rocked and no longer "routine."  For the last almost year and a half, I've felt like the only way to cope was to take each day as it came. I poured my entire being into first my family and second my career goals. We moved to Missouri, we've embraced and continue to fall in love with a new hometown, our kids have grown so much and we've worked our tails off to keep our lives moving forward. Here we are in a new year. 2022! I can't be the only one saying... HOW IN THE HECK DID WE GET HERE?  Am I right? If you're like me and have a hard time recalling many of the days of the last year and a half, then I