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Jesus and Tantrums
Yesterday, my newly minted 4 year old was exhausted. It was the end of a weekend full of birthday fun, visiting family and not going to bed on time. And I knew what was coming – an earthquake of little kid feels. The signs were all there: being overstimulated, not going to bed on time…
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I’m Still Here!
Holy frijole, Batman. The last several months since I’ve posted have been insane in the membrane. It’s all a blur. I hardly remember them, just like I hardly remember most of last year. And that tunnel we all collectively fell into at the start of the pandemic? It’s barely starting to show it’s light at…
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Grief and Holidays
If I know anything about grief it’s this: Grief in this life is unavoidable. Whether we resist it or not, someday grief will come for us. It is universal. It is both extremely unfair and undiscriminating. Sometimes grief is giant, and seemingly insurmountable. Sometimes it’s small, quiet, and hidden. Sometimes it’s bittersweet, a reflection of…
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Let’s Talk About ANTS: Automatic Negative Thoughts
When I was a kid, maybe 7 or 8, I sneaked out of bed to see what my parents were watching on TV. That night, they happened to be watching “The X-Files”; I hid in the hallway and peeked around the corner to watch. A reptile creature was crawling through some bushes and watching a…
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Pandemic Depression
I’ve struggled with depression off and on since I was 12. It runs through the family, even though “run” doesn’t accurately describe depression. It’s more like a swamp monster: dark, oozy, coming upon you sneakily. So I guess depression oozes through my family? Gross. Anxiety is my more constant companion, while depression comes for weeks…
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Parenting in the Time of Pandemic
My 2 year old just had an epic meltdown. You know the kind: laying on the ground, thrashing, kicking, shrieking, red faced, completely-lost-it kind of tantrum. What set her off? Well, immediately leading up to said tantrum, she was pouring milk into her training potty, and letting her brother splash in it. So, Daddy took…
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Mass During a Pandemic
March 8, 2020 was the last time my family and I attended Mass before the shutdown. The Diocese of Austin officially cancelled in-person Masses on March, 17, 2020. My two youngest kids and my husband both had some kind of virus the Sunday prior, March 15th, so we stayed home. We have not gone to…
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Coping with a Pandemic
This is not a how-to-cope post, because let’s be real, you’ve been getting “how to cope” tips from EVERYONE. I even got one from my Nissan dealer yesterday. (Yes, car dealership, please give me tips for meditating and art projects.) I feel fairly confident that if you’ve watched TV, read emails or browsed social media…
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When to Fire Your Therapist
I am a Catholic, female, 3rd generation Mexican American, married mother of 3 in her 30’s. I speak English and limited Spanish and ASL. I am the oldest child of divorced parents. I have dealt with mild OCD, depression and generalized anxiety disorder since late childhood. I developed PTSD in my 20’s. I experienced 1…
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Anxiety Lies
[Written in 2011] Dear Britt, This is you talking. Yes, you. Actually, this is the non-anxious version of you talking to the Chihuahua-like version of you sitting in the corner shaking with that look of terror in your eyes. Chill and listen, er, read. You are not alone. Let me repeat: YOU ARE…
Tired Parent Club 