A. Y. Berthiaume
A.Y. Berthiaume is a native Vermonter, writer, feminist, recovering middle child, hobby junkie, and a mom who’s just winging it most of the time. None of these things pay the bills so by day she’s an admin assistant and hides her cape under her cardigans. If she could conjure her own Patronus, it would be a heron. Once voted as most likely to star in a romantic comedy, people generally find her amusing and her laugh is the loudest you can hear in a movie theater. You can find some of her other writing on her blog, http://www.ayberthiaume.com. Berthiaume holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Northeast Ohio Masters of Fine Arts Program. She would like the record to state: A. Y. Berthiaume is a just a regular mom and real person figuring it out with everyone else.
My Lost Pregnancy: Grief and Silence Losing a Baby Through Miscarriage
Over the summer, the July 4th holiday brought my extended family together in a joyful (and extremely hot) reunion on the lake. Two cousins came with their one year-old daughters. Both were smiley, happy,...
My Favorite Toddler Friendly TV Shows are More Than Just Entertainment
Toddler friendly TV shows have really been very helpful to my morning-routine success and end-of-the-day need to cuddle, and they are way more than just entertainment for my son.
Occasionally, toddler friendly TV shows...
The No Screen Time Rule: How it’s Completely Unrealistic for Me to Follow
Prior to having my son, I was adamant we would follow the ‘no screen time’ rule.
I told my husband (at the time) about all the research done on the neurological impact of too...
My Top 10 Motherhood Challenges that Prove How Hard it Is to Be a...
A friend of mine asked me to identify a pivotal moment in my life, a time where something made me shift in huge ways. I told her motherhood. “And If you could define motherhood...
A Mom’s Survival Kit: DIY Guide to Creating a ‘God Help Me’ Bag
In my last post, I mentioned that when I’m getting ready for an outing with my son, I pack something that I call a ‘God Help Me Bag’ (GHMB for the purposes of this...
Preparing Yourself for Public Toddler Outings: Small Children in Big People Places
This post follows a similar thread as my last one about toddler manners, except here we focus on public toddler outings and what to expect. (You can see how these might be related, right?)...
Toddler Manners: When Do You Teach “Please” and “Thank You”?
The main question: is it too early to teach a toddler manners?
The scene preceding the question: Sunday morning at the playground.
Sunny. Hot. Children ages 1 to 8 scurrying around. Parents scattered and in...
Please Stop Talking, Seriously: A Rant about Mom Judgment
We all have people in our lives that maybe we know well or just met on the street or happen to work with or we are related to by blood (for better or worse)...
Memories Made Not Bought, Bribed, or Planned: Puddles are Enough
Daycare was closed the week of April break so my son’s daycare provider could enjoy time with her own family. It was a win for her and a win for me; I would be...
Morning Challenges: Anecdotes of Mom Life Getting a Toddler Ready
I dedicate this post to moms who are surviving morning challenges while getting their toddler ready.
Welcome to mom life - you’re certainly in it and are well on your way to earning your...
Defining Motherhood: The Kind of Mom I Want to Be
When I was pregnant with my son, I used to talk to him as I took the family dog for a walk.
I started this early on in my pregnancy, well before I was...