From Trike to Two Wheeler

Big Words

A few weeks ago as we were walking out of a restaurant, I noticed that my son's shoe was untied and I bent down to tie it for him. Trevor put his hands on his hips, cocked his head and exclaimed, "Oh I am so embarrassed" in his best dramatic voice. The crowd waiting for a table outside the restaurant burst into hysterics and a man said "That is a mighty big word for a little kid." Trevor beamed wi…

Posted -33811 sec. ago.

Jumping Off the Swing

When we got to the playground at Shelly Lake last weekend, Laurel immediately headed to the swings and I found a spot on a nearby bench. As I watched Laurel swing higher than I thought possible, I noticed that another mom had snagged one of the swings and was swinging almost as high as my daughter. At this point, the open swing next to Laurel began to taunt me. I quickly decided not to worry about…

Posted 6 days ago.

Things That I Will Not Miss

When I was in Target a few weeks ago, my daughter began to have a complete meltdown. You know, the full fledge variety that people expect from a toddler, but is hardly endearing from an eight-year old. I tried all of the tricks that usually work -- rationalizing with her, giving her a hug and imposing extra chores -- but it quickly became clear that she was not going to calm down. She was tired, h…

Posted 1 week ago.

Moneypalooza at Marbles

Marbles Kids Museum has saved my sanity on many days over the past few years, especially those with Code Orange warnings or freezing temperatures. I canât count the hours that I have spent helping my kids create the fastest car for the racetrack, sew clothing for their stuffed animals, and build the "hugest house ever" out of giant Legos. I am also positive that I must have said "Keep your st…

Posted 2 weeks ago.

Olympic Timeline

I will admit it. I am an Olympic junkie. I enjoy watching the background stories of the athletes. I cry when they win or lose because they have waited their whole life for this chance. I even love watching the new Olympic-themed commercials. And I try not to feel guilty as I let the laundry pile up as I settle in front of the TV each night.

Posted 3 weeks ago.

No More Training Wheels

Last weekend, my husband took the training wheels off my son's blue UNC Tarheel bike and taught him to ride on two wheels. My neighbor who has helped most all of the neighborhood kids learn to ride their bikes even stopped his painting project to join the action. As I stood in the driveway alternating between cheering for him and snapping 456 pictures on my digital camera, I knew I would write abo…

Posted 1 mon. ago.

Snowed In

When I first heard the prediction for the recent snowfall, I thought to myself "Please, no snow." Over the next few days, I moved into the denial phase and told everyone that I was sure that the meteorologists were wrong and that there would be no snow. As everyone around me was excited about the prospect of snow, I kept thinking of being stuck in the house and how I wouldnât be able to get a…

Posted 1 mon. ago.

The Real Milestone Chart

When my kids were babies, I remember spending hours carefully going through the milestone charts to find out when my kids should roll over, say their first word and be able to name 2 colors. In hindsight what I really wanted was a checklist of the milestones that would make my life as a parent easier.

Posted 1 mon. ago.

Taking Time to Watch the Dolphins

As I drove down the narrow road to the Fort Fisher Aquarium last week, I glanced at the clock on my dash and felt my heart rate go up. We were two hours late getting here and now we were going to get stuck in rush hour traffic on the way back to Raleigh. I then heard Trevor holler behind me, "Turn around. I want to see the ocean before we go to the aquarium."

Posted 1 mon. ago.

Home Alone

Before I had kids, I tried to avoid spending Saturday night home alone. There was something about being by myself on the weekend that made me feel like the rest of the world had a more exciting life than I did.

Posted 2 mon. ago.

about this blog

From Trike to Two Wheeler

Jennifer Gregory left Florida almost 11 years ago to escape the heat and enjoys living in a place where the seasons change. She lives in Youngsville, N.C., which she usually refers to as north of Wake Forest, and has been married to her husband for almost 10 years. As the mom of two kids and three dogs, her house is filled with lots of joyful noise and barking. Her daughter (7) is convinced that she will be a princess when she grows up and her son (5) has aspirations of being the next Dale Jr. After years of writing software documentation for various companies, she "retired" when her daughter was born to become a stay at home mom. Now that her kids are in school, she has finally figured out what she wants to be when she grows up. She spends her mornings as a freelance writer and her afternoons hanging out with her kids. The only things she misses about living in Florida are her friends and family, Publix fried chicken and going to Florida Gator football games.

Jennifer appears Mondays on TriangleMom2Mom.