The Aftermath of...

...Mother's Day is always interesting to watch.

You have a handful of moms who received wonderful thoughtful gifts and proclaim their pride in their children and spouses. It's wonderful!

Then you have the vast majority who had a Mother's Day that was less than stellar.

My beef with Mother's Day?

Do I really need a single day to know that my spouse and children love me and appreciate me?

I better fucking not! There better be no question of whether or not I'm loved by my family.

Mother's Day is a Hallmark holiday, just like Valentine's Day and Father's Day. It's a day to set up a specific group for disappointment at the hand of corporations who could give a rat's ass if your family treats you like a queen (or king) as long as you go buy shitty cards and flowers that will die within a week and create a collection of vases that just take up space. It's all about money.

On Mother's Day, I used to have huge expectations. I expected my kids not to fight and to come together to do something meaningful to make me feel loved on my special day. I expected my husband to field everything and to make sure that I felt special. My husband never disappointed, even though I'm not his mother, but my kids were kids. I was frustrated, yelling and crying about "How could you do this to me on my special day! I just want one day a year where it's about me!"

But really, it's not about me. At all. It's about the fact that someone calls me "Mom" and they do special things all year long to let me know how much they love me. Snuggling on the couch to watch a movie, a call from a teenager, a swiped flower from a neighbor's yard, an unsolicited "I love you", a hug, a smile, a thank you. THAT'S what being a mom is all about.

Not some one day celebration of motherhood.

It's nice when they remember, but it's nicer when they do it because they want to, not because a calendar says they have to.

~Kim

Prepubescent Daughters...

...are something else!

I don't have any idea how I'm going to survive my youngest and only girl. The mood swings are gigantic and unpredictable. Moreso than even my own!

My poor husband.

I'm pretty sure I know why he works in another state, I want to work in another state...Hell, another country!

For the next 7 years.

At least.

You know, the boys when through some bull shit when it was time for puberty, but nothing like this.

Not even BEING a prepubescent girl is helping. I mean, yeah, I'm in my 40s, but I still remember what it was like to be a preteen...Although, my preteen years were marred by tragedy, I don't remember ever being a psychopath.

I actually think I might be more of a psychopath now than I was in my preteens and teens.

For example, she painted her fingernails. Instead of patiently letting them dry...she poked on and it left a mark. There was a meltdown of epic proportions. Screaming, crying, and stomping around the house. The wiped all of it off with a tissue because she was out of nail polish remover which sent more gales of frustrating yeowls.

She's just barely into puberty...I mean just a smidgen. I fear for the days of full blown PMS and cramps and actual boyfriends.

If I live long enough to see that, I mean.

~Kim

Mordant Matriarch Podcast Episode 3 Transcript

Podcasts can be found here: Mordant Matriarch Episode 3

Welcome to The Mordant Matriarch Podcast Episode 3.

I’m your host, Kim, Matriarch extraordinaire.

You can find the full transcript of this episode at www.mordantmatriarch.blogspot.com.

We talk a lot about what other people do and don’t do when it comes to “momming”, but you rarely hear what mothers have to do themselves.

Yeah, I know that we all bitch (out loud to other women) about having to be the maid, the nurse, the chef, and everything else we have on our plate. But let’s talk about households out loud.

We’ll start out exploring single moms. I’m as close to a single mom as a married woman can get. The only thing that I don’t do that they do is work a full time job while doing everything else. Please, don’t take that as an insult, single mommas. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you ladies are fucking warriors! Some of you don’t even get child support from your children’s dad or dads in any way whatsoever. Which I think is completely bull shit, but that’s for another podcast.

Not only do you do all of the physical stuff, you’re solely responsible for their mental health as well.

If something goes south, you’re the one that deals with the fallout. Consoling your child or chastising him/her. Providing discipline if your kid is on the doling end of trouble. All the while dealing with your own feelings on every situation. Some of you have familial support, grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, etc., but some of you don’t. Even sometimes familial support isn’t enough because everyone has a different point of view than a mom. This is when you need a best friend. Someone that you can tell your secrets to, your feelings, or just breakdown. Sadly, not everyone has this either.

Now on to married moms/moms in relationships. You have a husband/boyfriend or a wife/girlfriend who should be your greatest supporter. You’ve had children together, you’re a team, right? In some cases, that’s very true! Your significant other is in the trenches with you through everything. Some of you have the yin to your yang. You fit together like perfect puzzle pieces, but even so, mothers view everything differently than fathers (if you’re married to a wife or with a girlfriend, I can’t speak to how that works out because I know it’s like a typical relationship in a lot of ways, but I’m not sure how the empathy and nurturing is different or the same). I’m sure there’s something physio that explains it, but I’m not even sure scientists can pinpoint what it is. Regardless of what we’d like to have our male spouses (again I can only speak to this) be like, they’ll never have the same bond a mother has with her child. They’ll rarely be the one to shoulder the heaviest of loads, I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but it’s rare.

Whether we want to believe it or not, our society is still staunchly patriarchal. It’s not as black and white as the 50’s, but it’s still there. We, as women, are working to change the tide, but it’s a long row to hoe. We’ve allowed men to be the bread winners, the hunter and gatherers, while we worked behind the scenes to make sure our homes are running like well-oiled machines. Little Suzy and Timmy are well-behaved, well dressed, clean, polite, well-adjusted, well-socialized, well-educated because Mom does her job and Dad does his. The kids seek out Mom because Mom is always there. Mom is the cheerleader, the nurse, the cook, the launderer, the dishwasher, the boo-boo fixer, the first heartbeat they ever heard.

When shit goes bad, if they go to anyone, they go to Mom. So, when it hits the proverbial fan in a way that affects the entire family, Mom is the one who everyone looks to to fix everything. She’s the emotional support for the entire family. She consoles the most affected child, and if she has more than one, she explains and explains and comforts and reassures the other(s). She also helps her husband get past whatever feelings he might feel and if it’s really big, she consoles, explains, and talks to extended family. She shoulders it all. WE shoulder it all.

We talk to our friends in a matter of fact way, sometimes we even rave to our friends, but it doesn’t quell the inner turmoil because we’re not only dealing with our feelings. We’re dealing with EVERYONE’S feelings.

So, on top of all the other bull shit we’re expected to do as mothers (working or not, single or in a relationship, because we all bear the same thing regardless), we’re trying to make everything alright for everyone. Sometimes, we never get the chance to deal with our own feelings while we’re doing. Sometimes it’s years and the urgency long forgotten by everyone else.

They either become skeletons in the family closet, or we shove it so far down because we have to continue to do all the usual things. There’s a saying, “No rest for the wicked.” There’s a definition of wicked that is “going beyond reasonable or predictable limits : of exceptional quality or degree” according to Merriam and Webster’s dictionary. It’s in this definition that mothers are wicked. Sometimes they fit into the others, you can look those up yourself, but this one is the most fitting over the most mothers. Which is why we do the things we do. Because we can.

I want you to think about this every time you feel like you can’t go on. Every single mother (with the exception of few) is a wicked warrior. We very literally have the capability to do it all.

The other take away from this is: Build a support system. It’s so important. Build a tribe. Be a part of someone else’s tribe.

Stop doing it all alone.

Today’s rant:

Stop settling. Seriously, stop settling. Stop taking the easy route. Stop using your fear as an excuse. There is no reason that you should accept anything but the best from anyone in your life. I get the psychological ramifications of comfort, knowledge, and even predictability in the status quo. I totally get it, but there has to come a point where you say, “This is bull shit! I deserve better than what I’m getting here!” and you formulate a plan to change what you’re doing.

Demand the promotion. Demand the respect from others. Demand respect from yourself! Learn your worth and discard anyone who doesn’t see it. Take the leap. Teach your children respect for themselves and respect for others. Teach them their worth by showing them yours. You are setting the example for your children.

Every time you do something, think about it. Think about it in terms of your sons and your daughters. “How would I feel if this was happening to my child?” If the answer is anything but happy or proud, squash it. 

Squash the fuck out of it.

There’s a difference between knowing self-worth and being egotistical. Know the difference. Live the difference.

Stop fucking settling! Please!

Judged Me:

This is brought to you by Eternally Exhausted.

“I was in the grocery store with my two toddlers, 3 and 1. Usually, I’m well prepared for a shopping trip, but this one got out of control so quickly that I didn’t see it coming until it was too late. We were going up and down the aisles and I was matching my coupons to the items on the shelf. Of course, I was driving the tractor trailer of shopping carts so that I didn’t have to have two because you know that the 3 year old cannot be trusted to walk through the store. I rounded the corner with my gigantic shopping cart and accidentally ran into the behind of a man stopped at the end of the aisle. I blushed and apologized trying to explain how hard these stupid things are to push, especially when there are two tiny distractions loaded inside. He exclaimed, ‘Jesus lady! Watch where you’re going! You could have really hurt me!’ as if I came around the corner at 90 miles an hour with the intent of mowing down everything in my path.

When the man yelled, it set off my 1 year old. She had that look of shock on her face that only a toddler can and started crying. I’m trying to comfort her and the man is mumbling under his breath how children should be left at home so they don’t bother other people.

I mean, seriously?! I apologized again and pushed on with my blubbering one year old and the three year old is chattering like a chipmunk. I can’t hear him over her sobs, and he starts to get frustrated. Then he’s raising his voice over hers, which makes her cry harder. At this point, I’m ready to surrender, but I was almost done, so I thought maybe I could zoom down the aisles and grab the last of the things I needed and get the hell out. I shouldn’t have.

I grabbed my last 3 items and hurried toward the registers. I passed the man I had run into and he was with his wife. “That’s the woman I was telling you about! Look at her. Her kids are out of control and she’s not doing anything about it!”

I almost expected his wife to shut him up, but instead she replied, “Our children never behaved like that! These young people don’t know what they’re doing!”

Now, I’m holding back angry tears and both of my kids are having monumental meltdowns. I just want to get out of there.

I shot them both an angry look and ran for the front of the store. I picked the shortest line, which ended up having the slowest cashier on planet earth. The kids are grabbing at all the crap the stores geniously stuck within arm’s reach and I’m battling them as I’m trying to load my items on the belt, cramming them in the smallest of spaces. The woman in front of me muttered something about misbehaving kids while I was proving my prowess as an octopus. The kids were in an uproar. Then I lost it. Instead of anyone consoling me, they just stared. The looked at me like I had three heads and gills. No words of encouragement, just stares of judgement. It was awful.”

Want to share your stories? Send an email to mordantmatriarch@gmail.com with “Judged Me” in the subject line. All stories will be shared anonymously. You’re welcome to sign them however you like. (i.e. Judy Judged A Lot or Can’t We Be Friends) The only time you will ever hear from me is when your story is going to air.

Dear Matriarch:

Today’s question was sent in by Stumped Spouse.

She wants to know “How do I get my husband to help out with the kids and the house?”

(laughter)

Dear Stumped,

Sorry. Sorry about that. It’s an age old question that has lots of answers and nothing proven.

This goes along with something I said earlier. We’re weaving our way out of the patriarchal society that we’ve, as women, have allowed to happen, but it’s going to be long before the men are sensitive and knowledgeable about what women need when it comes to a partner.

So, for now, all you can do is ask. Seriously, it’s that simple. “Hey, can you help with the dishes?” or “Can you give Robin a bath?” If he still won’t help…re-listen to the rant above.

Dear Matriarch is the mother of advice spots. You can ask me anything. I can’t promise I’ll see things the way you do, but I can promise I will always be honest.

I will also provide you with facts if need be.

Have a question that you want answered? Send it to mordantmatriarch@gmail.com with “Dear Matriarch” in the subject line. The only time you will ever hear from me is when your question is airing.

So that’s it. That’s a wrap.

Today’s podcast was sponsored by The ADHD Quilter. Custom creations for everyone. www.theadhdquilter.com. If you can dream it she can do it. Incidentally, that’s me because no one else knows this podcast exists.

If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode, send an email to mordantmatriarch@gmail.com with “Sponsor” in the subject line and we’ll work something out!

One last thing before I go. I do this for free. I’m too small for sponsors and I don’t want a ton of ads across my site so if you’d like to help a sister out, there is a “Donate” button on the website. It will help keep me from having to do all those things I complain about on other sites. And one day, I might actually get the button up.

Thanks for listening! See you next time.                       

Mordant Matriarch Podcast Episode 2 Transcript

Podcast can be found here: Mordant Matriarch Episode 2


Welcome to Episode 2 of The Mordant Matriarch Podcast.

 I’m your host, Kim, the matriarch extraordinaire.

 A complete transcript of this is available at www.mordantmatriarch.blogspot.com

Let’s talk support. We all need it, but we don’t all do it. We should, but we’re all swimming upstream. That’s what makes being a woman and a mother (and whatever other hat you may be wearing) so damn difficult.

We’re expected to be stronger than a man, but not to show it. We’re expected to run a household, but never complain about it. We’re expected to have the best-behaved children, but only in the way that someone else thinks is right.

Am I right? I mean seriously, how can there possibly be ONE RIGHT WAY to raise children. Look around you (if you’re out in public this will work, if you’re at home, like me, not so much. go browse your woman friends’ Facebook photos for reference), does every person you see even LOOK like you, let alone hold your same beliefs and values? Does that make them wrong?

Uh. No!

That’s the beauty of life. We’re all different! We were all raised differently, by different types of families. Sometimes playing by the rules doesn’t even work and we’re stuck in the middle of this sea of confusion and information without a lifeline because everyone is so concerned about lending a hand. Sadly, it’s not even lending a hand that’s the problem. Mothers are afraid to ask for help because instead of the support they need, they’re more likely to be judged about what they’re doing.

I will never understand why women, in general, don’t try to stick together.

You co-sleep? Wow, I could never do that. You’re a bad ass.

You’re baby has been sleeping in her crib since day one? Damn! That’s awesome!

Look how easy it is! LOOK!

Oh and shall I mention the breast feeding in public lack of support. Why should a woman feel like she has to stay locked in her home because someone might be offended that her child is hungry? Come the eff on. No one wants to eat in a bathroom. If you’re offend YOU go eat there. Instead of offering support to the mom who is just trying to live as normal a life as possible for a mom. How hard is it to not look at boobs or to say anything like “You’re amazing! I can’t imagine how hard it must be to get out of the house.” And buy her some freaking lunch.

Women have been so catty, like it’s some competition of “Who’s doing it righter”. It’s not. If you see a mom struggling, reach out. Tell her it’s going to be alright, even if you don’t know that it is. Share your survival story. Let her know she’s not in the trenches alone. Do NOT under any circumstances offer her advice on her situation. She just needs to hear a kind voice. You never know if you’re the only person who’s taken the time to make her feel better.

It doesn’t take much effort to be kind and that’s the type of support we need!

Today’s rant:

You know, if you’re feeding your child, it’s none of my business. I don’t care if it’s bottled breastmilk, bottled formula, milk straight from the tit, or even a baby formula bong (okay not the last one.), fed is best. Also, I don’t care WHERE you do it. In Target, the mom mecca, in Wal-mart, in a restaurant, in your car, in your house, on the roof (which probably isn’t safe but you get the point). It doesn’t matter!

Did you hear me? IT DOES NOT MATTER!

If someone has the balls to say something about you breastfeeding in public, I hope they trip over a non-existent crack and break their nose so they have to look weird in public. Because, quite frankly, that’s weirder than seeing someone do something that comes naturally. Women have been doing it for CENTURIES. This isn’t a new thing. Got a problem with horse tits? How about engorged goat boobies? If you’re the one making snide remarks, do you do the same when you see other animals do it? No. You probably go aaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwww how cute. I mean aside from the fact that it would be unsanitary to have farm animals in a restaurant, (you gotta look past that) you wouldn’t even think it was a big deal…And if you did, please don’t breed.

 So, I say FEED EM OR BUST!

 Completely intended that pun.

Judged Me:

So, since I’m new and no one has been brave enough to send me their stories (which would be completely anonymously purveyed), I’ll give you a special insight into my world. Again. Eventually, you’ll get bored and send me something about you.

Here goes.

I am my worst critic.

Sure, I’ve gotten judged by others…a lot…but in reality, I’m the worst.

Every single decision I make, I’m second guessing and I’ve had to make some major decisions for my kids. Decisions I hope none of you ever have to make.

I’m currently judging the hell out of myself for how a handled a massively screwed up situation that happened within our family. I have no idea if I handled it right. Only time will tell, and I’m not sure I’ll live that long. The mom guilt is real. Imagine if I had my own mom guilt, and someone judged me. (Oh and they totally would if they knew what was going on)

I guess the point of this rant is…stop judging each other knowing that we all judge ourselves. No one needs anymore negativity in their lives!

Want to share your stories? Send an email to mordantmatriarch@gmail.com with “Judged Me” in the subject line. All stories will be shared anonymously. You’re welcome to sign them however you like. (i.e. Judy Judged A Lot or Can’t We Be Friends) The only time you will ever hear from me is when your story is going to air.

Dear Matriarch:

So, this episode’s question was sent in by Agonized by Adolescent Absurdity.

She wants to know “Why the hell do teens do stupid stuff?”

Dear Agonized,

Funnily, you’re in the right place. The scientific answer is because their frontal lobes, which houses logic, isn’t fully developed until into their 20s.

My take on it is that we’ve become such an instant gratification society that they don’t even think of the consequences of their actions before they do something completely off the wall. For example, we all know that our kids are smart enough to not eat damn laundry detergent, yet here were are having to remind them that it could kill them. And the whole reason this is even an issue is because someone became social media famous who did it.

Social media is the epicenter for teens who want anything; sympathy, empathy, fame, ideas, you name it, they can find it on social media. AND it’s in the palm of their hands. They can take their access to everything anywhere they go.

So, just keep treading water, Agonized. We’re not the first ones to go through this, and we won’t be the last. I long for the days when the phone was attached to the wall and if you wanted to say something there were 3 ways; over the phone, in a note, or in person and if you did something stupid, millions of people didn’t get to watch it, they either had to be there or hear about it 2nd hand (or 3rd hand etc) until it became so legendary no one would dare try it.

Dear Matriarch is the mother of advice spots. You can ask me anything. I can’t promise I’ll see things the way you do, but I can promise I will always be honest.

I will also provide you with facts if need be.

Have a question that you want answered? Send it to mordantmatriarch@gmail.com with “Dear Matriarch” in the subject line. The only time you will ever hear from me is when your question is airing.

So that’s it. That’s a wrap as “they” say in the business…whatever business that is.

Today’s podcast was sponsored by The ADHD Quilter. Custom creations for everyone. www.theadhdquilter.com  If you can dream it she can do it. Incidentally, that’s me because no one else knows this podcast exists.

If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode, send an email to mordantmatriarch@gmail.com with “Sponsor” in the subject line and we’ll work something out!

One last thing before I go. I do this for free. I’m too small for sponsors and I don’t want a ton of ads across my site so if you’d like to help a sister out, there is a “Donate” button on the website. It will help keep me from having to do all those things I complain about on other sites.

Thanks for listening! See you next time.

Mordant Matriarch Podcast Episode 1 Transcript

Podcast can be found here: Mordant Matriarch Episode 1

About the podcast

Real Mom experiences

Judged Me

Dear Matriarch

Interviews

Rants

And other shenanigans.

The transcript for each episode can be found on The Mordant Matriarch Blog. www.mordantmatriarch.blogspot.com

This podcast was born from a blog that I’ve been writing for 6 years on and off. My whole goal for the blog itself was to reach one person and let them know that they’re not alone in whatever feeling or situation they have going on in their life. It required a lot of transparency on my part which wasn’t hard because as a stay at home mom who used to be incredibly social, I like talking to anyone. Literally, anyone about anything.

If you ask me a question, be prepared for a monologue that puts the likes of the soliloquy in Romeo and Juliet to shame. Oh and if you want to debate with me, bring it on. I love researching facts that will blow your mind.

I went to college for a while. I wanted to become a teacher, but after seeing what our public education system is up against, I decided that wasn’t for me.

I published a book three years ago. It has nothing to do with parenting whatsoever, but it was an accomplishment and I’m proud of it. What I’m not proud of is the fact that I can’t manage to write the second book.

I now write on my blog (sporadically at best until now I hope) and I sew and quilt. Two things I really enjoy and, not to toot my own horn, but I’m pretty good at both.

This podcast plays to the fact that I like to talk. I have opinions. I have experiences. And above all, I’m honest. If something doesn’t work, I’ll tell you. If it does work, I’ll sing it from the roof tops. Mordant Matriarch jumped all over the place in topics, but most had at least something to do with being a mom and/or running a household. (I’d apologize for the few political posts, but I’d be lying. I’m not sorry)

I live in a very untraditional household. You can read all about that in the blog, but you’ll hear me refer to myself as a “married single mom” and please don’t think that’s a dig toward single moms. Those women are fucking warriors in every aspect of their lives.

“Momming” has become one of my favorite words that’s not actually a word, but it makes sense because moms are rarely sedentary and in constant motion for their family.

In the last couple of years, I’ve become part of the Judge Free Moms movement, who is the brain child of Colleen Carter. All she wants to do is unite moms of all types. She wanted to show that as long as you’re doing what works for your family, it’s okay. What she’s created so far is a community of women who offer each other advice and support (and sometimes just a place to bitch) AND she’s inspired a large portion the group to live the change.

What’s the change?

Helping other moms instead of holding them down. Just this past year we’ve helped mothers who needed Christmas for their children and turkeys for Thanksgiving. We’ve banded together for moms who have lost and moms who have gained. There are spur groups for health, reading, and businesses that are all connected to the Judge Free Mom movement. Everything is in the spirit of support. It’s incredible.

Colleen will eventually be a guest and she’ll share more of the movement with you.

I’ve always been judge free. You do you. As long as you’re not hurting anyone, what the hell does it matter that we’re doing things differently? I mean, seriously. I have other things that I can waste my energy on, like ignoring my kids arguing or avoiding laundry.

Sometimes, though, I have to stop myself. Our first instinct is to judge. Something is different, it’s got to be wrong. This applies to so many areas in life, but we’ll stick to families and parenting.

This week’s rant:

You cannot tell people that you’re teaching your children kindness and caring when you yourself are not. Listen to how you speak to people. Think about it for a second. You share memes on social media making fun of people. You share memes that are hurtful to people. You post angry posts. There’s a HUGE difference between being a strong woman and being an angry woman. Strength builds when you overcome the things that have made you angry, not letting your anger drive you. Stop letting the fat jokes be your humor. There are plenty of other funny things that don’t require denigrating another human being. Whether they see it or not, it speaks to your integrity.

Sure, we all get mad and lash out. Shit happens. It’s human nature. How you own it afterwards is what people see. If you continually lash out instead of looking for a solution to your anger, people will assume things and judge you one way. If you say “Oh shit. I was mad. I meant my feelings, but probably could have done a better job expressing them. Ope. Sorry!” people will assume things and judge you a completely different way.

And if I’m going to be judged (because realistically, we know I’m getting judged regardless of what people say) I’d rather it be in a positive light.

Children are sponges. They see and hear more than we realize. I’ve found that out several times (you’d think I’d learn by now but nooooo) myself.

If we’re empathetic, the kids will be empathetic too. You know the Golden Rule? Treat others like you’d like to be treated. We seem to have lost that in translation somewhere. Time to bring it back.

Judged Me:

Since this is the first podcast, I’ll share one of my judgement stories. I have three children. They’re now 19, 16, and 11. My oldest is special needs. I still don’t know why any higher power thought that I’d be strong enough to raise a special needs child, but I learned a lot about myself over the years.

The time I can remember being judged the most is when we made the decision to send my oldest to the state school specifically for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. The school is 3 hours away from where we live and we did not move because I have 2 other children that I didn’t want to uproot. I remember telling people that we were close to back then (10 years ago now). “Oh I could NEVER send my child away.” “I don’t know how you’re going to manage someone else raising your child.” “Can’t you just get him extra tutoring at home?” You name it, someone said it to me. I still get it from time to time and he’s going to be graduating this year. Fortunately for me, I’ve never really given a shit what other people think about how I run my family. And yes, I do run my family. My husband may be the breadwinner, but I pull the rest of the strings. I have no problem saying that because he’ll tell you the same.

So anyhow, I knew I was being judged and people talk. For me, though, it wasn’t a big deal.

Want to share your stories? Send an email to mordantmatriarch@gmail.com with “Judged Me” in the subject line. All stories will be shared anonymously. You’re welcome to sign them however you like. (i.e. Judy Judged A Lot or Can’t We Be Friends) The only time you will ever hear from me is when your story is going to air.

Dear Matriarch:

Dear Matriarch is the mother of advice spots. You can ask me anything. I can’t promise I’ll see things the way you do, but I can promise I will always be honest.

I will also provide you with facts if need be.

Have a question that you want answered? Send it to mordantmatriarch@gmail.com with “Dear Matriarch” in the subject line. The only time you will ever hear from me is when your question is airing.

So that’s it. That’s a wrap as “they” say in the business…whatever business that is.

Today’s podcast was sponsored by The ADHD Quilter. Custom creations for everyone. www.theadhdquilter.com  If you can dream it she can do it. Incidentally, that’s me because no one else knows this podcast exists.

If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode, send an email to mordantmatriarch@gmail.com with “Sponsor” in the subject line and we’ll work something out!

One last thing before I go. I do this for free. I’m too small for sponsors and I don’t want a ton of ads across my site so if you’d like to help a sister out, there is a “Donate” button on the website. It will help keep me from having to do all those things I complain about on other sites.

Thanks for listening! See you next time.

***This transcript may not be exact but it's close.

So, I Started...

...this little podcast.

I'm not sure why. I don't have time to do anything else.

Aside from my sewing venture (www.theadhdquilter.com), I'm also dealing with a massive shit show.

Something happened that has changed my family forever and it feels never ending.

So what do I do? I start a podcast, of course. Distraction is good for the soul and man, do I need distraction.

Amongst trying to instill normalcy in this household, manage 2 different spring breaks, finances, doctor's visits, get a sewing business off the ground, I decide it would be a good idea.

It's fun though. I like it. (I hope you do too)

I'll be back with another post soon about how things are going around here. I know you're just dying to know!

When all else fails, put more on your plate!

~Kim

Mordant Matriarch Podcast 2.5

The Podcast can be found here: Mordant Matriarch Episode 2.5


Welcome to The Mordant Matriarch mini-podcast.

I’m your host, Kim, the matriarch extraordinaire.

I guess this is episode 2.5.

I just wanted to drop by today and say Happy Easter. Whether you are spending it with family, extended family, alone, with friends, with or without your kids, I want you to remember something.

Easter has become something much larger than its origins. I don’t even understand how that’s possible because if you’re familiar with it, then you know it’s to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Now, I am NOT religious by any stretch of the imagination and I do understand that because of people like me, there are more secular reasons for these holidays, such as a magical rabbit that brings candy and hides eggs. (I’ll research this later, but rabbits don’t even lay eggs so..uh…whatever).

It’s gotten out of hand. We have become so ridiculously proud of the stuff we can give, in some cases, it’s become a 2nd Christmas. While I don’t begrudge those who can do this, I might be a little jealous but that’s neither here nor there, do not feel bad, or less, or horrible if you don’t. We all have choices to make. I’m noticing the theme of my podcasts currently seem to be about how every mom and ever child are different. Holidays carry the same way.

Everyone celebrates differently.

So, in this short podcast, I want to take a moment and remind you that no matter what your holiday situation, remember your blessings. Remember those little jerks who make us laugh and cry in the same 30 seconds. If you’re a shared parent, I can’t imagine how hard it is to split holidays, but they’ll be with you soon and they don’t give a rat’s ass if they celebrate with you the day before, the day after, or a week from now. They just care that you do celebrate with them.

For those of you dealing with in-laws today, which luckily I’m not, may the booze and chocolate be plentiful and may your in-laws remember that you are raising their greatest treasures and cut you some slack today.

Happy Easter!

Today’s podcast wasn’t sponsored by anyone.

See you next time!