Tanya
Tanya has been happily married for over 20 years her college sweetheart. Originally from Cincinnati, she has called the Indianapolis area home since 2004. Tanya has six children (some biological, some through guardianship) ranging from middle school through college graduate. While her degree is in Psychology, she has combined that with her love of theater to direct shows for adolescents, primarily working with children who have learning differences.
Looking for an Adultier Adult
My daughter is heading off to college this month. This is, of course, affecting me in both an emotional and practical way. She and I have started to cross over into the “friend” stage...
The Hell That Is Preparing for A Family Vacation
Picture this. Your family is getting ready to go on vacation. While you typically drive to save money, this time you are flying to your destination. Everyone is excited – there will be a...
What Do I Tell My Daughters?
I have two daughters, age thirteen and seventeen. All of their school careers, they have been attending private schools that had strict uniform codes. Lately, my thirteen year old has been having some issues...
Summer Mom Blues
June 3, 2016. That is the date this year of my “Independence Day”. Well, sort of. That is the day I no longer receive a minimum of six emails a day pertaining to something...
Not So Hot at Keeping My Cool
As I was driving home from a quick trip out of town recently, I received a frantic phone call from my youngest son that there was a tornado warning and he was rounding up...
By Trying to do the Right Thing, I Destroyed my Family
I may get judged heavily by what I am about to say, especially by people who know me personally. I have two children who, by no fault of their own, have made much of...
A Stressed Out Mommy Anthem
Recently, I had the extreme honor of writing and directing a full length musical for the students at a school which is very near and dear to my heart. It was what we in...
“Who are these people?” – When Your Kids Are Nothing Like You
When I was in college, I had to write a paper imagining what my life would be like 10 years after I graduated. I happened to already be engaged at the time, so I...
An Ode to Combining Family Traditions
Most families have a certain number of traditions that are passed down over the years. Growing up, we had quite a few in my family. Every holiday someone made my grandma’s apple salad recipe....
Motherhood from the Other Side: Parenting Adult Children
Last week, my oldest son turned 21. Gasp! No! It can’t be! It’s hard to believe that my children are, one by one, turning into adults right before my eyes. I married young, so...
Helping Your Older Children Deal With Death
I am going to warn you now that this is not a “feel-good”, happy Mom post. This is about a very difficult side of parenting that we often try not to think about. My children...
What Moms Know Will Actually Happen This Christmas
The holidays are coming – time for joy, time for cheer, jingle bells and pretty lights and cookies and presents and… Bah Humbug! Ok, I really don’t have anything against the holidays. If I...
Mealtime Woes: The Ups and Downs of Feeding A Large Family Dinner
I've determined over the past decade that it's a good thing I paid attention in math class all those years growing up. I use a lot of math doing sometimes complicated calculations on an almost daily basis....
Parenting Teenagers (By Learning to Let Go)
My days of diapers, bottle feeding and baby proofing are long behind me. My “babies” are all well into the double digit age range at this point. As my kids grow older, I realize...