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Deion Sanders Blasts Colorado Players in Fiery Response to Professor’s Note

Read how Deion Sanders passionately addressed issues of classroom engagement and respect after a University of Colorado professor's troubling note reveals significant concerns about player behavior. Coach Prime calls for better academic focus and personal responsibility from his players.

How Could This Happen to Me? Navigating Through Life’s Unexpected Turns

Read about a woman's deeply personal experience with life's unanticipated challenges feeling an overwhelming sense of 'How could this happen to me?' Discover her path from confusion and grief to resilience and understanding.

During a Kitchen Dance Party, Foster Mom Hears Heartfelt Words: ‘I Miss My Other Daddy’

"I felt the tug on my sleeve and looked down to find him standing motionless. His mouth was moving but I couldn’t make out his words. His quiet body in the noisy room caught me off guard. I bent down to find his voice."

‘Stop Telling Moms Not to Blink—It’s Okay for Us to Miss Some Stuff’

I know you’ve seen and read the numerous articles telling us we have a limited number (18) of summers with our children, and that we must make the most of them.

I know you’ve seen and read the numerous articles from those who are peeved at the ‘make-your-moments-count’ timer and refuse to adhere to an ‘I can’t even blink, or I may miss something’ way of mothering and living.

Here’s my stance:

Stop telling moms not to blink.

It’s okay for us to miss some stuff.

We also take one-second naps when we blink, and we need all of the rest we can get.

I guess you could say I’m someone who rides the line between ‘we only have 18 summers’ and ‘don’t tell me we only have 18 summers.’

I’m a momma who can’t get enough of my kids, but quickly has ‘had enough,’ which I yell at those three tiny and innocent bystanders every 10 minutes like clockwork.

I’m a momma who claims I have no time to play because I have to do ALL THE THINGS, and then complains that I can’t play because I have to do ALL THE THINGS.

I’m a momma who longs to hug my kids when we are apart but pulls away from them when they are extending affection at an inconvenient time (like while I’m mid-laundry or working) or when I am feeling over-touched.

I am a momma who wants to be a SAHM but has turned into a WAHM and is struggling with giving both my work and my children my full attention.

You see, I am a momma who has wanted nothing more, her whole young life, than to be a wife and a mother, and here I am, being those things.

Well, guess what? It’s a lot harder than I ever imagined.

Marriage forces you to compromise more than you would ever care too, and then you birth these gorgeous and loving babies who outgrow your lap and lullabies, but never your mind or your heart, and they also require lots of compromises.

Even more than that, they require attention, a whole heap load of it, which includes providing them with nourishment, affection, positive energy, motivation, active listening, teaching – the list goes on and on.

Now, have these past eight years gone by in the blink of an eye?

Nicole Merritt
Nicole Merritt
Nicole Merritt is a mother of three, a freelance writer, co-host of I Am The Worst Parent Ever Podcast and the Owner and Founder of jthreeNMe; an imperfectly authentic peek at real-life marriage, parenting, and self-improvement. jthreeNMe is raw, honest, empowering, inspiring, and entertaining; it’s like chicken soup for those that are exhausted, over-stressed and under-inebriated, yet still utterly happy. Nicole's work has been featured by NBC's TODAY Show, Love What Matters, Scary Mommy, The Good Men Project, Elephant Journal, CafeMom, Popsugar, Motherly & many others. You can follow Nicole at jthreeNMe.com and as @jthreeNMe on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter!

Deion Sanders Blasts Colorado Players in Fiery Response to Professor’s Note

Read how Deion Sanders passionately addressed issues of classroom engagement and respect after a University of Colorado professor's troubling note reveals significant concerns about player behavior. Coach Prime calls for better academic focus and personal responsibility from his players.

How Could This Happen to Me? Navigating Through Life’s Unexpected Turns

Read about a woman's deeply personal experience with life's unanticipated challenges feeling an overwhelming sense of 'How could this happen to me?' Discover her path from confusion and grief to resilience and understanding.

During a Kitchen Dance Party, Foster Mom Hears Heartfelt Words: ‘I Miss My Other Daddy’

"I felt the tug on my sleeve and looked down to find him standing motionless. His mouth was moving but I couldn’t make out his words. His quiet body in the noisy room caught me off guard. I bent down to find his voice."