Comments on: Mommy on the brink

By: not just another year | Not Just Another Jen

not just another year | Not Just Another Jen — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:13:06 +0000

[...] also have my hard days: where I just feel blue, deeply contemplative, and challenged, especially by my boys. I suspect there is some womanly chemistry that is involved and I’m looking into that. [...]

By: Jen Hibbits

Jen Hibbits — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 01:11:57 +0000

It’s great to meet another jen. I feel we’ve got to stick together. Yes, I’m big on Bryn’s honest family concept. She’s been a great support and source of mommy wisdom for me. I have found that it’s really my friends (in addition to the wine) that’s helping me get through the low points. Thanks for stopping by and visiting!

By: Jen @ The Short Years

Jen @ The Short Years — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:58:57 +0000

Yes, all mommies go there sometimes. I sometimes just want to curse myself for yelling at my kids so much, and yet I love them so very very dearly. I can’t wait for them to grow up so I’ll be able to do all the things *I* want to do, and then the next minute I’m so sad to think of the day when they leave and I’ll miss them so much. It’s a rollercoaster, and it is normal. And I like what your previous commenter said about being an honest family. I think it’s OK for kids to see that parents have emotions and make mistakes too. For kids to know that even when we get annoyed, we still love them. Advice on how to deal? I wish I had some, but I don’t. If had a fabulous guilt-free calorie-free trick to make stress disappear I’d be a rich (and serene) woman.

By: Not Just Another Jen » Blog Archive » Fancy sounding, but easy fish dinner

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:59:03 +0000

[...] wrote a post rather heavy yesterday (see Mommy on the Brink), so I’m going to go with something light and delicious today. It’s also been quite a while [...]

By: Jen Hibbits

Jen Hibbits — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:29:28 +0000

Wow. Bryn, you brought tears to my eyes and a sigh to my heart. I love you too, darlin. xoxox

By: Bryn

Bryn — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:40:38 +0000

Sometimes I think to myself, “how can I be so delighted by my kids in one hour and then the next hour (or moment) I’ve snapped and told them (okay screamed at them) to go their rooms and they’re both in tears?” How can my emotions flip flop like that? And I’m a normal healthy mom too! I know this because thankfully I’m surrounded by mothers going through the same thing at the same time give or take a little. The convoluted emotions are so twisted inside of me that if I weren’t so afraid to I would stand outside and scream and cry to the sky all at the same time. And I know that scream and those tears would end in laughter, so I don’t know why I’m so afraid to do it. Because what if somebody saw me? Well, shit, if we were all so honest then I wouldn’t be so afraid that the neighbor might call my husband and come “save” my children.

I love my kids. They are precious little charms in my life. We laugh and play and sing and dance together. We also learn how to be a family and cope through life together. It’s not all playing and dancing. It’s screaming and crying too. And it’s life together as a family. As an honest family who tries not to be afraid of the ugliness that we sometimes are.

My dad said to me one time, “you know honey, we all do our best, and sometimes our best isn’t very good at all.” Thanks, Dad. Thanks for making it okay. And thanks for raising me in an honest family.

Jen, I adore you.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
~Bryn

By: Tiffany

Tiffany — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:55:47 +0000

Tell it, sista. Your honesty is incredibly refreshing. And you are not crazy, you are harried and fed up, and for good reason! It can’t be easy to be hounded by little beasties 24/7. For the record, I think you are an excellent mother and continue to deal with the stress of being a SAHM with dignity, humor and grace.

Now go have another glass of wine and contemplate the story of the king, who asks his wise men to bring him something that will make him happy when he’s sad, and sad when he’s happy. Their gift to him? A small ring engraved with the saying, “This, too, shall pass.”

By: Jen Hibbits

Jen Hibbits — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:51:57 +0000

@ Jen – OMG…and from another Jen that I love and respect. Thanks for saying it out loud too! And don’t you know, I finished the post, felt relief and ended up playing with the boys outside. I so agree and know about choosing happiness, but when in those moments I feel absolutely gripped. Thanks for the love and support. xoxo!

@ Kirk – thanks honey for the love! I feel it.

By: Kirk

Kirk — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:25:44 +0000

Toughest job in the world. I will probably be going thru some of this when I go to court to try and win full custody of Dylan and Kyleigh. Hang in there.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:55:24 +0000

Girl, you are singing my song!!! I have had this conversation with myself and other moms a million times over. Why don’t people talk about this more? With the move, I have especially felt it because I feel so isolated. Yesterday, I was just so happy that the check-out guy at wal-mart talked to me. My phrase that I say to Brian is, “I am slipping.” You used those exact words!!!! How do I deal? Not sure yet. Lately, I have been reminding myself to choose happiness when I am tempted to feel like the victim of motherhood insanity.
Thank you for writing about this! Let the dialogue for motherhood solutions begin. I love you, sister!