Illyse Lane

We Are Our Own Worst Enemy

It all started with a story.Â A story intended to get us talking.Â You see, something horrific had happened.Â A mother of a toddler told us how, while at the grocery store, she observed another mother holding a can of soda to her barely-a-toddlerâs mouth. And giving her a sip. Â Being friends who would NEVER do such a thing, we could instantly rattle off a handful of reasons why t…

Posted 1 day ago.

Snapshots of a Different Kind

If you open my nightstand drawer and dig under the few random souvenirs I have saved (such as the receipt from dinner the night Really Big Guy proposed and the boyâs hospital bracelets from their births), you will find sheets of paper neatly stacked.Â Dated by the year.Â Scribbled with New Yearâs Resolutions.

Posted 1 week ago.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

It's Christmas. Well, almost. Technically, it's Christmas Eve. And getting here has been filled with traditions. It's buying our tree from the same lot we have for the past 15 years. The pre-kids, pre-engagement lot. And make no mistake. We are dedicated to this little bunch of trees. Even if it means telling Little Guy that we are going to bypass the inviting, giant snowman set up on the s…

Posted 2 weeks ago.

The Break Up

Oh dear Target. My heart is heavy. I have to confess. Iâve been unfaithful. Itâs not my fault. I tried to make us work. Weâve been together for such a long time. But in the end, I had no choice. Tide, Eggos, Lucky Charms and those awesome frozen, steam in a bag, veggies are cheaper some place else. It pains me to say this. You know how I feel about you. And I canât really co…

Posted 3 weeks ago.

The Daddy Boat

We've never been a football family. Sure, like most men, Really Big Guy enjoys watching a game.Â But even though we both attended large universities with strong football teams, weâve pretty much managed to have the television off on Saturdays for quite some time. And because of this, Big Guy and Little Guy have never jumped on the football bandwagon. Yet lately, something is different.Â …

Posted 4 weeks ago.

Vacation Day

When I looked into the drained, empty bath tub, there was a ring.Â Not the kind that would have slipped off my finger, but a good, old fashioned, genuine ring of grime.Â It must have formed as the water turned a funky shade of brown while the grass and dirt stains were being scrubbed off Little Guyâs knees, feet, elbows and fingertips.Â Â

Posted 1 mon. ago.

Giving Thanks

Driving down a busy road after school, Iâm every mom, in my multi-seat, multi-row vehicle, lugging children from point A to point B and then onto point C, D and maybe E. Â Sure, we may all look different.Â Our vehicles are different makes and models. Some of us come from home.Â Some of us come from work. But I would bet that the conversations we are having with our children, our husb…

Posted 1 mon. ago.

The Great Big Book of Nothing

There are days I could get a medal for my parenting skills.Â Then there are days when the bottom falls out.Â And I thank goodness thereâs not a hidden camera in my home. Whether itâs a good parenting day or a bad parenting day, Iâm in a constant state of trying to figure out what will work and what wonât.Â As I make these discoveries, I write them in my unwritten handb…

Posted 1 mon. ago.

Love is Blind

In an interview with W Magazine, Angelina Jolie said this about her man, Brad Pitt and his thoughts on her body after childbirth:Â "I'm with a man who's evolved enough to look at my body and see it as more beautiful because of the journey it has taken and what it has created.â Seriously? I can bet money that if I asked Really Big Guy if my body was more beautiful because of its journey, he…

Posted 1 mon. ago.

The Sugar Season

Help me. I'm in a sugar daze. Itâs worse than my usual coffee-induced state. That gradually tapers off as the day goes on. This is different. This is a delectable, melt-in-your-mouth, chocolate, sugar hangover. And though I try my best to break the cycle, I canât. As soon as I feel weak and sleepy, I just reach into the bag of mini Reeses and Iâm brought back to the land of the…

Posted 2 mon. ago.

about this blog

Illyse Lane

Illyse is a TriangleMom2Mom featured blogger, appearing every Thursday.

She is currently a stay-at-home mom. She resides in Raleigh with her husband and two sons, ages 7 and 9. Originally from New York, Illyse fled the cold to attend Florida State University. After a brief return to life in the city, she relocated to Raleigh to work for GE Capital and has never looked back. Illyse is sure that as long as all the boys in her home continue to speak, she will have plenty of material to write about.