Parenting is by far the hardest thing that I've ever done. No matter what, I seem to be able to find something to feel guilty about and many days I've taken about 100 deep breaths by 9 AM. This is coming from someone with a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in early childhood education (0-8 years old), a special education certification, who taught 35 kindergartners in a low income area without an aide, and who also spent two years teaching children with multiple and severe disabilities. I ... View the Post
Mommy-fit
As caregivers, I cannot stress enough how important selfcare is. I am with all of my kids 24/7, so I work hard on my fitness in every sense. It's funny that when I'd talk to people about my international trip with 3 kids 5 and under at 4-5 months pregnant, some didn't like my lack of panic when I'd say, "I'm prepared for whatever comes." That's not because I was naive to the fact that I could potentially have all 3 kids crying at the same time, catch in my hands or become flight famous ... View the Post
Marriage and Money Matters
Lately I've been doing some work on my relationship with money and yet again I'm seeing how yin and yang my husband and I are. We are opposites in nearly every way and although that can be challenging, we share core values like respect, parenting styles, and (the only thing I ever asked for) our sense of humor. It can be really hard to meet in the middle and it requires so much humility to let your partner teach you new ways of living because many of us cling to unhealthy habits like security ... View the Post
Professor Tomasi
I'm starting a new chapter in my life (when are we not?) and I don't necessarily know where it is going but this A-type personality is trying something different for several reasons. One, I have had times in my life where I thought I had everything planned perfectly and then the $@it hit the fan and I learned that despite my best efforts, I am not in charge. When you listen to stories about successful or admirable people, they often didn't set out to be as big as they became - they simply ... View the Post
First letter to my daughter
Written: 4/11/16 Hello Baby Girl, I did such a good job keeping a journal when I was pregnant with your brothers, I feel bad that I'm behind with you but I hope to make it up to you. All of my life I only wanted 2 boys before I experienced the joy of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood but when I did, I knew that I wanted to share these experiences with a daughter. I hope to tell you how strong your body is during pregnancy and teach you how to accept each contraction as they come, to ... View the Post
Change Your Life, the Okinawa Way
Okinawa, Japan, is known as the healthiest place on the planet, with more centenarians than anywhere else in the world. I was born on Okinawa to an Okinawan mother and lived there from 11-18 years old until I moved to the U.S. for college. During my first seven years in the States, I overindulged in everything that I had always dreamed of in regards to life in America: food, TV, consumerism, etc., and my health took a toll. At the age of 25 my pendulum seemed to rest and I found ways to ... View the Post