But Mom

Over-mothering is a common occurrence with many (not all) women.There's also under-mothering but that's a whole other column. Love has a way of making us want to hold on and nurture our babies. Many of our fears and applications come from the way we were parented. I've noticed a happening with my teens when it comes to meal time. They are more apt to eat if I literally cook something, place it in front of them and say eat. Otherwise they opt for the standard kid fare; Mac and cheese, ramen and pizza rolls. It blew my mind the other night, it was 10 pm and my daughters boyfriend who was visiting from out of town tells me he hadn't eaten since breakfast. But that it was ok because they had a big breakfast. They also had a full day of sightseeing. I couldn't believe this, first I took it personally because a guest in my house went so long without food. I'm Italian, if we aren't feeding something or someone every couple of hours withdrawal happens. So off I go, whipping up a quick batch of French toast and bacon and every living being in my house comes to eat. There's plenty in the refrigerator to heat up, there is peanut butter and jelly, sandwich fixings and leftover pasta from the night before, but what was wanted was something home cooked by me. On one hand I feel pressure from this, I mean they are old enough to fend for themselves and I've supplied all the necessary ingredients, on the other hand it's my motherly pleasure. My third hand is waiting for my teens to feed themselves and me, I'll even do the dishes.

She Buzz Words

• Grit
• Application
• Homework
• Eraser

She Could be a

• Pharmacist
• Lifeguard
• Sous chef
• Product designer

Right Now She Could be

• Pickling
• Hiccuping
• Writing poetry
• Grading homework

She Vent

"My child's teacher has it out for him"

She Could Be Working at a

• Target
• K-Mart
• Visitors Center
• CVS

She Fact:

Heart attack victims are more than three times as likely to have been sitting in traffic within an hour before their attack happened.

Source: American Heart Association

She Pet:

Secondhand smoke affects pets as well as their owners; don't let them get in death's way!

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