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Which Way's Up?

Navigating life as a Wife, (Step)Mom, and Armchair Psychologist.

Being a (Step)Mom. It must be so Easy.

This is why I cringe when people look at me with a suspicious eye roll when they hear I am a stepmom. Only a stepmom. It must be so easy to only be a stepmom. Oh yes. Bonbons and fancy wines. What I want to say is, “You think you have emotional fallout? Try life as a stepmom. So easy.”

Jyl Barlow Biological mother, Daughters, family, marriage, ocd, parenting, sons, teens Leave a comment July 4, 2022July 4, 2022 6 Minutes

Powering down PowerSchool

Between Zack getting his driver’s license, a lifeguard certification, a real summer job.... WHY IS THIS CHILD TESTING ME??

Jyl Barlow aging, Class of 2024, Daughters, family, marriage, parenting, Retirement, sons, stepmom, teens Leave a comment June 27, 2022 7 Minutes

My Father. Oh, How He Has Risen.

It’s an interesting view, as a child, to witness the decline of one parent and the subsequent rise of the other as a need for caretaking develops.

Jyl Barlow aging, family, gerontology, marriage, Romance, stepmom Leave a comment June 20, 2022 3 Minutes

Father’s Day Done Right (You’re Welcome)

Men? Men really just want to feel regular fulfillment in each of only four quadrants. Tap into about half of those quadrants each day and you will be giving yours everything he needs to maintain a sense of running bliss that comes with generalized happiness and contentment.

Jyl Barlow marriage, ocd, Romance, stepmom 1 Comment June 13, 2022June 13, 2022 4 Minutes

The Relaunch of a Struggling Child (Spoiler Alert: It’s Terrifying)

A year ago at this time, we hadn’t yet found out that our child had essentially dropped out of her life. Today, we are preparing to send her out of the nest again and we are hitting all emotions.

Jyl Barlow Daughters, Parenting Fails Leave a comment June 6, 2022 7 Minutes

Unimaginable. But not really.

#Uvalde If we are not going to address the actual problem - maybe we could at least update our response. Then we could at least feel like something was changing.

Jyl Barlow gun control, parenting, School Shootings, stepmom 2 Comments May 30, 2022May 30, 2022 7 Minutes

Take My Money. But only 75%.

I will price shop for actual months before pulling the trigger on just about any purchase, big or small. My husband, on the other hand, is a different story. His story starts with “Once upon a time OH MY GOD ENOUGH WITH THE PRICE SHOPPING JUST BUY IT ALREADY!!!!” 

Jyl Barlow competitive, family, marriage, ocd, Romance Leave a comment May 23, 2022 4 Minutes

Parenting: The Humble Brag

Parenting is hard. Why do we do this? No, really. I mean, I know the Hallmark answer...but, really, why?

Jyl Barlow Anxiety, Blogging, competitive, Daughters, family, marriage, Mental Health, ocd, parenting, sons, stepkids, stepmom, teens Leave a comment May 16, 2022 3 Minutes

(Step)Mother’s Day

Being a stepmom is a choice, not the fulfillment of a childhood dream.

Jyl Barlow marriage, parenting, stepkids, stepmom Leave a comment May 9, 2022 3 Minutes

Our 12,000 Children

If you’d told me ten years ago that, in a decade, I’d be married with three beehives…well, I might have believed the beehives part, but that’s not really the point now, is it?

Jyl Barlow Attendants, Beekeeping, Comb, honeybees, Pollinators, Queen Bee, stepmom, Top Bar Hive 3 Comments May 2, 2022 6 Minutes

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Love this Blog? Me too. So much so that I thought, "Why not write a book?" Coming soon, essays on mom-ming from the most unqualified (step)mom ever.

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