Meghan Shultz

The sickness descended upon the boy Sunday evening. How hard it was to sit by, watch his fever climb, and see the boy, who is usually so full of energy, be so lethargic. One doesn’t fully appreciate how difficult it can be to be so helpless until a child is ill. After a call to the doctor, and his diagnosis over the phone, I did have a bit of peace. Our doctor is so soothing, and very much a non-alarmist, so I have always appreciated his consults. After a full day of high fever and much rest, our son had some spurts of energy, which I took to be a great sign. Although his temperature was back to normal during the day, it has found him every night, so again he is home. As much as I would rather have him perfectly healthy, I can’t deny that both his sister and I have enjoyed having him home. Yesterday at nap time, she sat in her bed and cried, “I want my brudder!” After convincing her that she would be able to see him after she woke, she settled in and both proceeded to take almost a 4 h...

Now that my older son is off to Kindergarten, my daughter and I have found ourselves in a new and different world. I realized that the start of school didn’t just impact my son, my daughter and I would need to adjust to our first ‘Mama time’ since she was born. Always in the past, we’ve been the trio, and now we’re down to two. I had no idea that the days would be so different. The hours passed just as they had every day previous, but they just weren’t the same. They were missing something. They were missing the laughter and giggles of our third playmate. So how do we adjust? How do we transition into this next phase of ‘just the two of us’? It actually seems a bit daunting - the job of replacing her best friend during the day. Will I keep her entertained like he did? Will I measure up to her expectations? As we are just in our first week with our new routine, we are only beginning to adjust to our time alone. I know we will find our own way, and I am excited for the journey. S...

While playing baseball with my little boy last night, I noticed some changes in him. The way he acted, ran, and even spoke were different. Or were they? Granted, I noticed a marked decrease in ‘baby talk’, and not quite so many tears were shed. But could just two days of Kindergarten have had this profound of an effect on him, or had I changed my perception of him due to his new status as a “Kindergartener”? The more time we spent together, the more observant I became. He did seem to eat dinner a bit more quickly, and not one complaint uttered when bath time came. But the more subtle changes were more interesting to note. He just seemed older. He spoke of things he learned at school and the friends that he made. As a mom who has made it my mission to teach and prepare him for what’s ahead, it made me feel good that those skills had been learned and remembered. But as a mom who has been with him nearly every day of his 5+ years, I felt a bit left out. I do realize that he gets older e...