Aug 27, 2020 | Humor, Just for Moms, Moms & Dads
By TMoM Team Member Laura Simon They say laughter is the best medicine, so if the day all my quarantine “mommy-ing” caught up to me will help you feel better, then it’ll all be worth it. It all started at swim team practice. It’s not like the old days where I dropped...
Aug 10, 2020 | Education, Homeschooling
By TMoM Team Member Laura Simon I just want to start with this: I see you. Maybe you’ve always wanted to homeschool. Maybe this is your worst nightmare. Maybe you’re a SAHM mom and you’re throwing everything you have into making sure your kids keep learning. Maybe...
Jul 16, 2020 | Day Trips, Family Time, Parenting & Family, Recreation
By TMoM Team Member Laura Simon In case you haven’t heard, there’s a brand new alpine coaster in Banner Elk. What’s an alpine coaster? Well, it’s a little like a roller coaster, built into the side of a mountain, with individual cars that slide around bends and...
Jun 15, 2020 | By Location, Day Trips, Parks & Outdoor Activities, Recreation, Winston-Salem
By Laura Simon When I told my kids we were going to the Bullhole, their immediate response was, “Butthole?” And then they spent the forty-five minute drive cracking fart jokes. I’m telling you that because it might benefit you as a parent if you use the real name:...
Jun 14, 2020 | By Location, Greensboro, Local Resources, Sunday Spotlights
By TMoM Team Member Rachel Hoeing In today’s Sunday Spotlight … Gate City Musikgarten Summer Golf Camps Triad Moms on the Mic Podcast New Giveaways Watch your Child Bloom with Gate City Musikgarten Musikgarten is a global early childhood music curriculum for...
Jun 7, 2020 | Camps, Education, From the Doctor, Health, Info about Our Website, Local Resources, Private Schools, Recreation
By TMoM Team Member Katie Moosbrugger In today’s Sunday Spotlight… ~ Piedmont Area Catholic Schools is Now Enrolling ~ Day Camps at Greensboro Ice House ~ Helping Children Manage Stress and Anxiety During COVID-19 ~ Summer Golf Camps from the Triad’s...
May 21, 2020 | Education, Elementary, High School & Beyond, Homeschooling, Middle School
By TMoM Team Member Laura Simon For the better part of this school year, I’ve been fighting with my 10-year-old over fractions. In case it’s been awhile for you (and it has been awhile for me), let me summarize the average problem. First, you have to convert mixed...
May 15, 2020 | Info about Our Website, Local Resources
Have you listened to an episode of “Triad Moms on the Mic” yet? This popular series is brought to you by Triad Podcast Network and features four amazing local moms who also happen to also be TMoM team members: Kodia Byers, Laura Dydek, Kelly Hines and...
May 10, 2020 | From the Heart, Holidays, Humor, Just for Moms, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family
By TMoM Team Member Laura Simon When I was old enough to know better, I spent the better part of a week picking at a tiny bump in the drywall next to the toilet in my bathroom. It really was tiny, but it bothered me. I wanted it to be smooth like the rest of the wall....
Apr 23, 2020 | Humor, Just for Moms, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family, Raising Children
By TMoM Team Member Laura Simon Maybe it’s just me, but I’m starting to think my kids and I speak a different versions of the English language. I’m not talking about the slang, although that’s every bit as maddening as my parents said it was. (Sorry, Mom.) Actually, I...
Apr 14, 2020
— Introducing the “Triad Moms on the Mic” podcast! This series is brought to you by Triad Podcast Network and features four of our TMoM team members: Kodia Byers, Laura Dydek, Kelly Hines and Laura Simon. Each of these ladies bring a unique perspective to the...
Mar 25, 2020 | Info about Our Website, Local Resources
By the TMoM team We’ve been planning this announcement for weeks, and it’s debut could not come at a more needed time. While none of us wish to be in this crazy coronavirus quarantine, we are happy to bring you a resource that will not only offer you...
Mar 23, 2020 | Education, Homeschooling
By TMoM Team Member Laura Simon I’m sorry you had to meet it this way. And right up front, I want to let you know that this isn’t how normal homeschooling looks. For kids whose “socialization” is questioned by every well-meaning elderly woman in the grocery...
Feb 25, 2020 | Elementary Age, From the Heart, Humor, Just for Moms, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family, Raising Children
By TMoM Team Member Laura Simon Ten years ago, I was pacing the worn wood floors in my first house, trying to figure out how on earth I was supposed to do this parenting thing. It was our first night at home, my first night without the convenience of the hospital...
Jan 2, 2020 | From the Heart, Humor, Just for Moms, Moms & Dads
By Laura Simon I’m not a fan of New Year’s Eve. I can’t remember the last time I stayed up until midnight, unless you count being woken at 12:01 by someone’s enthusiastic fireworks display and mentally chiding them for their disregard of the human need for sleep...
Dec 4, 2019 | Gift Ideas & Gift Shoppes, Holidays, Our Favorite Finds, Parenting & Family, Shopping
By Laura Simon I don’t know about you, but I’ve received some pretty preposterous Christmas lists this year. My 5-year-old wants a baby unicorn, which she firmly believes can actually be obtained by venturing into the South American jungle. My 9-year-old wants a cell...
Nov 19, 2019 | From the Heart, Humor, Just for Moms, Moms & Dads
By Laura Simon I bought some lipstick at Target last week. That might not seem like anything special, but I haven’t owned lipstick in at least three years. Maybe longer. The last tube I remember having was one of those free samples you get from Clinique, and I haven’t...
Oct 23, 2019 | Holidays, Humor, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family, Raising Children
By Guest Blogger Laura Simon Halloween is not the reason I expected to have a crisis of motherhood, but here I am. First, my oldest, who has typically been very compliant about wearing whatever costume was easily accessible in the aisle at Target, declared that he...
Sep 23, 2019 | Humor, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family, Raising Children
By Guest Blogger Laura Simon The first house where I lived with my babies didn’t have locks on most of the doors. I replaced the door hardware shortly after we moved in – and after my friend had a truly harrowing experience involving a toddler, and locked door,...
Jun 5, 2019 | Day Trips, Hiking & Camping, Parks & Outdoor Activities, Recreation
By Laura Simon When I volunteered to take a day trip to Chimney Rock State Park, I only knew that it featured a series of steps to a large rock outcropping that looks – appropriately – like the mountain’s chimney. I planned our trip for a day when I was flying solo...
May 22, 2019 | Day Trips, Elementary Age, Recreation, Toddlers & Preschool
By TMoM Team Member Laura Simon Chances are, you’ve heard about the N.C. Transportation Museum because it hosts both A Day Out with Thomas and The Polar Express, large themed events that draw visitors from all over. However, the museum itself is an absolute gem any...
May 9, 2019 | Children's Health & Wellness, Health, Parenting & Family, Raising Children
By Laura Simon On Tuesday, I finally got around to my usual Monday task: watering the plants. For some reason, the number of plants in my house keeps multiplying, as if I don’t have enough work keeping three kids watered and fed. My kitchen windowsill features three...
Apr 25, 2019 | Education, Elementary, High School & Beyond, Homeschooling, Middle School
By Laura Simon Like many parents and teachers, one of my biggest frustrations with the educational system is the testing. I’ve always felt it consumed too much learning time, I knew the results could be wildly skewed, and I hated how it drove every aspect of what...
Apr 10, 2019 | Day Trips, Family Time, Hiking & Camping, Parenting & Family, Recreation
By Laura Simon For the first time visitor, Hanging Rock State Park can feel a little overwhelming. Set on nearly 8,000 acres in beautiful Stokes County, this local gem offers so many options that it’s hard to know where to start! That said, it’s our family’s favorite...
Mar 13, 2019 | Hiking & Camping, Parks & Outdoor Activities, Recreation, Vacations & Weekend Trips
By Laura Simon When my husband first suggested heading up into the mountains to ride bikes, I was less than enthused. For starters, there was the mountain biking experience in which I wound up hugging a tree. Literally. Also, I don’t particularly like heights, and the...
Feb 26, 2019 | Education, Homeschooling
By Laura Simon February. It’s the month that made me question all my life choices when I was teaching other people’s children, and it’s no different now that I’m homeschooling my own kids. It’s the month where the newness of the school year is long worn off, the...
Feb 15, 2019 | Humor, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family, Raising Children, Recreation, Travel & Auto Tips
By Laura Simon Three years ago, we bought tablets for my boys, then ages 4 and 5. They were cheap tablets, and we rationalized that they would be helpful on long car trips. Since we live seven hours from family, we make plenty of those. In theory, it worked. But it...
Jan 28, 2019 | Day Trips, Family Time, Parenting & Family, Recreation
By Laura Simon (with input from guest blogger and Raleigh resident, Kristen Bagwell) Recently, my kids and I found ourselves heading to Raleigh with some time to kill. While I knew about Marbles Kids’ Museum, I’d also heard there were two free downtown museums worth...
Jan 14, 2019 | Children's Health & Wellness, Developmental Concerns, Health, Parenting & Family, Raising Children, Toddlers & Preschool
By Laura Simon Last week, after eight years and eleven months, I finally threw out my diaper genie. Leftover nighttime pull-ups were handed off to someone who could use them, and we became a fully toilet-trained house. And by toilet-trained, I mean everyone pees...
Jan 2, 2019 | From the Heart, Humor, Just for Moms, Moms & Dads
By Laura Simon I don’t think I’ve ever made a real New Year’s resolution. I’ve made a lot of joking resolutions. And I’ve even made up a few phony resolutions when pressed by friends and students. But I’ve never sat down on New Year’s Day and made a decision that...
