Front Porch Season-- My Happy Place

It's that time of year again, time for me to bombard all my social media accounts with pictures of my front porch. I love my front porch, it is honestly one of my favorite places in the whole wide world.

It isn't fancy or full of expensive furniture, but it makes me so happy. Some of my porch feels inspired by Pinterest and some of it feels inspired by just loving being outside and being with my family. It is filled with beat up old chairs my mother-in-law gave me to refinish (which I never refinished or updated), a table we made out of a door we found (click here for the door to table story), a bench my great grandfather made for my grandmother and books and dogs and kids and sunshine (when we're lucky).

We eat as many meals as we can on the porch.

We play games on the font porch.

We say our goodbyes and hellos on the front porch.

We crochet on the front porch.

We read on the front porch.

We totally relax on the front porch.

We say hi to neighbors, watch the kids play in the front yard, and listen to good music on the front porch.

And occasionally I drink wine on the front porch.

The front porch is my happy place. I feel safe and so full there--peaceful, grateful.

Follow along this summer on Instagram (@JumpingWithMyFingersCrossed) using the hashtag #FrontPorchChronicles. 

Do you love your front porch? Or do you have another space where you feel happy? Did Pinterest inspire your style or did your style inspire Pinterest? Share your stories and pictures here in the comments or over on my Facebook page.  And come follow me on Pinterest.

Mother's Day Haiku

Mother's Day Haiku...

Mother's Day was good. 

I didn't call my mother,

I hugged my children.

Sure, they don't all look thrilled to be in the picture,
but I know they love me.  

I hugged my dogs too because I've become that lady who treats her dogs like her babies. Yup.

Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!

Hugging It Out On Mother's Day

Mother's Day is complicated to me. It is filled with all kinds of emotions. It's all I can't believe how lucky I am to be a mother to these four people and I feel like my heart is about to explode with love and gratitude. But it's also all I wish the world would stop reminding me that having a mother is amazing and wonderful and so special and they are full of wisdom and hugs and everyone should call their mother.  And then it's all wait that's what I want my kids to think when they are grown ups and how do I become the mother I want to be to my kids who are getting older every damn day when I don't know what that looks like.

My mother isn't a good one.  That is not abnormal, lots of people have shitty moms. But sometimes around the holidays or hard days and especially Mother's Day, I feel like I'm the only one that has a mother that isn't so great.

But I know that's not the case, I know it.  

I found this locket picture that was probably taken at a JCPenney's in 1976.  It is tiny. I cannot believe I have it. I have moved approximately 5,459 times and yet, I still have this picture.  This picture that reminds me of the good and the love and the connection.

I know I'm not the only one trying to navigate being a good mother with a roadmap entitled "don't do what she did" as my guide. I know I'm not the only one that digs deep and searches for the good memories, the love that was once there and tries to not have false hope on those holidays, hard days and especially Mother's Day.

I know I'm not the only one that goes back and forth between rage and compassion, and relief and guilt.  Rage because now that I have my own kids I see everything she missed out on or messed up. Compassion because I know it was mental illness and addiction that changed her and that breaks my heart. Relief because I set boundaries and I don't allow her in my house so I don't have to worry about her trail of pills she leaves behind or that she will say something cruel to my children that will burn in their mind and heart forever.  Guilt because I should be a better daughter, I shouldn't take all the things she says personally, I should do more to help her, I should at least call her more.

I know I'm not the only one and knowing that sort of helps.

So, to all the people with shitty moms who are feeling all kinds of emotional around Mother's Day, I offer a fist bump of solidarity mixed with a high-five of we got this and a hug filled with compassion and love and we-survived-our moms-we can-do-anything vibes. 

And while I'm sending out hugs, here's some to the people that feel all kinds of complicated because their mother passed away and it's hard to celebrate being a mother while you miss your mother.  

And more hugs to all the people that wish they could be a mother and weren't able to be one. 

And more hugs to all the people everywhere because ultimately Mother's Day is about taking care of each other and not being alone. At least that's the way I want to celebrate it and hug it out with the world.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you!

Creating More Spaces

What the hell world?

I pulled up to my gym and the whole front row of parking spots had been repainted with diamonds.  There were signs that said the spots were now for Diamond Members only. 

"Look at all the open spots right in front," Wade said from the backseat excitedly.  "It's our lucky day."

"No, we can't park there, that's only for people with diamonds," I told him all of a sudden feeling like a Sneetch without a star on my belly from the Dr. Seuss book.

Here's the what, I am not complaining about not being able to park in the front of the building.  I am complaining about a gym, a society, that rewards money and privilege.  I would have respected the gym so much more if they would have blocked off the spaces and converted them to all handicapped (instead of having just the legal amount of handicapped spaces they need).  OR if they blocked off the spaces for senior citizens or expectant mothers.  In fact, I would have scraped my money together to pay extra for that. Because I want a gym, a society, that rewards kindness and community and helpfulness.

Everyday I feel more and more like I live in a Dr. Seuss book.  From the diamonds to everyone biggering and biggering (their homes, their strip malls, their cars, their egos). I feel like the annoying little Lorax screaming and no one listening.

Last night, I was having dinner with my children on my front porch.  We live in a pretty junky rental on a street full of pretty nice homes. While the house isn't something that would be featured on a "you would love to live here" web site from a design standpoint, I'm proud of the chaotic, messy, beautiful love-filled home we've made here. And I love our front porch. As we sat and ate dinner on the abnormally warm-ish evening, we heard a man yelling. He was yelling "bullshit," "swipe the screen and get rid of the icon," "fucking do it."  This man was walking his dog while yelling at some employee or family member on the other end of his Blue Tooth. He was angry and didn't care that there were kids everywhere.

What the hell world?

Here's the what, I am not complaining about people swearing and getting angry. I get it, I've done it. I'm complaining about this man not waiting until he got home. (I mean seriously, pick it up to a jog and get home THEN yell if you need to do that.)  I am complaining about a man that didn't care about the kids around him, his community, enough to have a little respect.  His problem, his ego, his world was more important. He must be a diamond member.

I don't have all the answers. But I have trouble. I have trouble reconciling people's hypocrisy and denial, and that we live in a society that strives for the diamond spots. I have trouble that sometimes people with a little money and privilege don't seem interested in looking out for others and truly being part of a community.  

People on Facebook like to post articles about entitlement and how people need to get real. I wish they'd post articles about being the change and having character and encouraging kindness, and THEN go do it and be it.

I want the world to be more about creating parking spaces for people who need help; a world full of more people who look around and see who is listening and who is watching, people (and companies) who want to be role models of character and kindness. A world where people create spaces to raise awareness to encourage compassion rather than simply to raise prices to encourage privilege and status. 

The Brother Phenomenon/Force

When one brother plays baseball, they all play want to play baseball.  When one brother likes a certain video game, they all want to find out what that video game is all about. It's a brother phenomenon, or something like the force from Star Wars.  

My three boys are all individuals with their own interests and personalities, but they are also part of this brother phenomenon/force.  It's so interesting to watch the little brothers imitating and wanting to be like the big brothers.  

My boys share a room, sports equipment and very busy lives. The little boys are always watching the older brothers.  

"With all of this comes great responsibility," I told my oldest son the other day, sounding sort of like Master Yoda from The Empire Strikes Back.

The youngest and the oldest brother.

My oldest is responsible and smart and kind. He is also a bit quiet and sometimes uncertain of himself. Think Luke Skywalker.

If I were to compare my younger sons to characters from Star Wars, I honestly might say they are like Han Solo and Chewbacca (or "Chewie").  All bravado and confidence and good times. They are also loyal and loving and funny.



The little brothers are becoming more and more like a package deal lately.  Wade is the bat boy for JT's baseball team. JT is proud of him and Wade is elated to be included. 

Everything they do is a competition.  "I'll beat you to the front door," one of them always says when they get out of the car.  They play hard together and they fight big too. 

Peyton, the oldest brother, looked at this picture and said "what are you going to do when these two are teenagers and I am in college?" Even he understands these two
are going to take us on a wild ride.

More and more I see that my job as the Master Yoda in all this is to try to teach them to use the force for good. I have to learn to sit back and let them make mistakes. Ahhhhh. I need to give them tools to help them on their journey.  Sure I can't teach my boys how to levitate an X-Wing Fighter out of Degobah swamp, but I can teach them some things. I can teach them to be kind and supportive of each other. I can teach them to use their competitiveness in positive ways.  

It's the little things, it's the big things, it's everything.

Last week, the little boys got new toothbrushes and even that turned into a competition.  There was a little pushing in front of the sink and some harsh words were spoken. But just like Yoda, I walked into the bathroom and told them in a wise, calm voice to "push the buttons on the toothbrushes and be quiet and wait and to listen." 

Their new Firefly® Star Wars toothbrushes are shaped like light sabers and when you push the buttons they make sounds like in a light saber battle and say things like "the force is with you."  My boys were/are extremely impressed.

Wade, who is in preschool, especially loved his new toothbrush and has even made a chart to keep track of how often he brushes his teeth. No more bribing my kids to get them to brush. The toothbrushes are extremely affordable and ADA-approved.

Not only were they impressed, they brushed their teeth without a real battle (with each other or me). Even the biggest brother thought their new toothbrushes were pretty cool. He looked into the bathroom and gave them an approving Skywalker-like nod. The little boys stood up a little straighter after that and brushed with pride and brotherly love.

So like I said, it may not be a lesson in mind control or levitation, but it matters. It's all a part of the bigger picture.  It all matters as we teach our little Padawans to take care of themselves and each other and to use the brother phenomenon/force for good.

You know what else is good? Winning a trip to California. Yup, it's the #BrushBattle Sweepstakes from the folks at Firefly. Click here http://bit.ly/FireflyBrushBattle for a chance to enter to win a trip for four to an "awesome theme park" in California.  Good luck and may the force be with you!


Firefly® is a leader in Children's Oral Care solutions and the inventor of the Ready Go Brush. The toothbrushes are really fun and come in other popular characters such as Angry Birds, Hello Kitty, Marvel and more. The toothbrushes have interacting flashing lights and 60-second timers that help teach kids healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

I participated in this sponsored campaign on behalf of Firefly® and One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own.

Listen To Your Mother 2015- The Family

Listen To Your Mother Detroit was this past Sunday.  

In some ways it feels like sort of a dream, like a did that really happen? kind of thing.  But it did happen and it was all kinds of wonderful.

Before the show started, crowds lined up outside the historic theater in Detroit. 

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell 

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

While the energy grew outside, it was growing inside too. All 13 of us were inside practicing, sound checking on stage, eating lunch, getting our makeup done, talking, laughing.  Some of us might have been dancing a little too.

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Liz helps her mother with her necklace before the show.

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell 

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

That's the part of this whole LTYM process that is so surprising to me, that's the part that's not on stage...the part where everyone becomes friends and like a family.  Watching everyone relax and connect before the show made Angela (my friend/coproducer/partner in crime) and me feel like proud mothers.  Like an "aww, look at how well all of our kids get along and really like each other" kind of feeling.

It isn't that they, we, all just like each other. We all support, encourage, understand and feel pretty much bonded together forever through this experience of getting on stage and telling our stories about motherhood.  

It's not like we are family, we just are family.

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

The family, I mean the 2015 cast of
Listen To Your Mother Metro Detroit.
Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

During the show, "the family" cheered each other on from the front row. 

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell 

Photo by Kimerly Mitchell

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Photo by Kimerly Mitchell

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

We literally held onto each other before we went on stage, on stage and after the stage. And then we took selfies, we hugged, we lingered, we didn't want it to end. 

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

And yeah, some of us danced again.
Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

The show was so good. The stories were insightful and funny and moving. The readers were brave and honest and beautiful. The audience was receptive and supportive and appreciative. 

Photo by Kimberly Mitchell

Listen To Your Mother Metro Detroit 2015 is over, but "the family" is planning the reunion already.