Monkey Bars

09/13/2024

Ok, new mamas! This one’s for you. My dear friend and OG MBs mama, Sarah Connolly, is starting a workshop to support moms and their mental health. I could not be more excited to support her work if I tried! Check it out… you won’t regret it 🙏🏼

Sign up here:
www.mothercirclealameda.com

12/19/2023

For all who need…
And Happy Holidays, mamas! 🎄❄️✨

Advice on surviving the first holiday season after divorce from moms who have been there.

02/09/2023

The death toll of the deadliest earthquake in decades has climbed to over 20,000😓... This rescue effort is heartbreaking to witness. The temperature is plummeting and rescue efforts remain arduous.

The recently rescued survivors, many of whom are children, need our help. Below is a link of reputable charity orgs. Please share.

More than 3,000 people have been killed, and 11,000 more injured after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and Syria. Here's how to help.

06/01/2022

Cancer Update💫:

I was scheduled for surgery tomorrow to remove the mass in my right breast + some lymph nodes. It was supposed to be May 12th BUT I got Covid 😩, so we’re already weeks out from where the surgeon would like us to be.

Yesterday morning, I get a call from the dr’s office saying that Medi-Cal is denying my surgery because my insurance is “in transition” (it’s not) and they’re gonna need to push it back again. Now folks, when I tell you I about lost my whole mind, I am not speaking hyperbolically 😩… turns out, someone @ the county level —with neither my knowledge nor consent— added me to an HMO, even though I previously spent hours on the phone back in April getting my HMO exemption put into place. Now, the “new” insurance takes effect today, giving them “not enough time to do a prior authorization” 😒

The system is broken. Our country is fu**ed. Today, I feel resigned to just let it happen (I have no choice), but we cannot stop fighting against these sh****le policies our country inflicts on its people. But also, ya girl is tired. New surgery date is June 9th. I shall resume the fight against TheMan afterwards & in the meantime, I have my guy intentionally guarding my naughty b**b with his little doggie paw 🐾 😭

Y’all have been so wonderfully generous and supportive, and even though I do not have the capacity to effusively express my gratitude at present, please know that I have felt & received your prayers & well-wishes… keep that s**t up 🙏🏼♥️🙏🏼

Many have asked how they can best support us at this time, so I’m working on a proper list ♥️… stay tuned. We love y’all so much, words aren’t even enough. Promise 🥰

06/25/2021

Important…

via twitter.com/kellyaclancy

How to explain (to kids) when really awful things happen to kids

04/01/2021

😩

A Connecticut bear recently brought traffic to a halt as she tried to get all four of baby bears across a road safely.

03/20/2021

Highly relatable content.
Feel free to pin 💁🏻‍♀️ 📌

14/10 would watch

02/05/2021

Yyyyyep!

Show of hands... whose partner is absolutely killing it right now vs. whose is wondering why “it’s so loud out there” 😐🙄

This photo says everything. Two professionals, both in the middle of a workday. Women have been talking about the unequal load of parenting for years. The pandemic made it impossible to deny. Moms are not okay. We need to talk about this.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/02/04/parenting/covid-pandemic-mothers-primal-scream.html

02/04/2021

Choosing Violence: it’s not a hobby... it’s a lifestyle.
~Colin, age 8

01/31/2021

Highly relatable content...
Happy Sunday!

01/20/2021

Homeschool lesson!!!
via NPR...
Thanks for sharing, April Noelle!

In this NewsHour lesson, students will examine the message and goals of poet Amanda Gorman as she prepares to speak at the presidential inauguration.

01/20/2021

01/13/2021

January 19th & 26th! Save the dates! And this will be facilitated by an OG Monkey Bars parent, so get excited!!

GENDER 101 -- FREE ZOOM WORKSHOP FOR FAMILIES
Tuesday, January 19, 7:00-8:30 pm
Ronit Matabuena-Lev, MA, of Bird and Bee Education

Learn what gender diversity means and how to make sense of this increasingly expansive view of this foundational aspect of who we are and how we move through the world. Deepen your understanding of gender identity and expression and navigate the complexity of this subject with more confidence and skill, engendering greater compassion and acceptance for ourselves and our children and teens.

Click here to register and receive the ZOOM link for the workshop: https://www.rodefsholom.org/event/series-parenting-generation-z--navigating-the-teen-years-in-a-pandemic.html

***

GENDER 101 DISCUSSION GROUP
Tuesday, January 26, 7:00-8:00 pm
Facilitated by JoAnne Forman, LMFT, REAL Program Coordinator and Ronit Matabuena-Lev, MA, of Bird and Bee Education

Click here to register and receive the ZOOM link for the discussion group: https://www.rodefsholom.org/event/series-parenting-generation-z--navigating-the-teen-years-in-a-pandemic1.html

***

This event has been made possible by the REAL Mental Health Initiative at Congregation Rodef Sholom. Learn more at: https://www.rodefsholom.org/real---mental-health-initiative.html

12/30/2020

Welcome to the party, dads 💁🏻‍♀️
These lewks are 🔥

12/28/2020

It’s a miracle that my essay in this anthology is actually holding up, considering we’ve been in the same two bedroom apartment — no school, no sports, no work, no happy hours — since March. Like, I actually still do wanna hang out with him (most of the time) 🤔

So if you haven’t already, pick up a copy of this book with your Christmas money, lock yourself in the bathroom for a couple hours, and read/cry/laugh yourself into a better mood 💁🏻‍♀️

Merry New Year 🥳

Who here got a giftcard to buy yourself books over the holidays? 🙋‍♀️ Because if you're a parent, I have a suggestion for you that'll make you feel understood. (And I happen to have an essay in it!)

ABOUT THE BOOK:

"Read the seventh book in the New York Times bestselling I Just Want to P*e Alone series!

Remember when we thought motherhood was hard when the kids were little? Ha! Now we realize it's damn near impossible when they're teenagers!

The days of potty-training, bubble-wrapping every sharp corner, and begging for a freaking minute to p*e alone are long behind us. We don't read bedtime stories or sing lullabies to our children anymore. Instead, we're communicating via TikTok videos and tracking them on their cellphones every time they leave the house. We lose sleep wondering if we've done enough or overdone it.

There was a time when we longed to be left alone and now we can't get our teenagers to spend any time with us. When we're not begging or bribing them to hang out, we're banning them from leaving the house just so we can have some "family time" together.

Raising teens is not for the faint of heart but it's still a wild and terrific ride. For all the angst and drama teenagers cause, they're also smart, hilarious, and fun to be around (if they let you hang out with them).

Enjoy stories like:

◆ The 100% Absolutely True Story of How My Kid Accidentally Joined a Cartel
◆ The Joy of Knowing Middle School Doesn't Matter
◆ Let's Talk About S*x
◆ A Camel, Some Straws, and Your College-Bound Teen

Motherhood never gets easier and you're going to laugh or cry. Why not do both?"

GET TODAY:

B&N Paperback: http://bit.ly/HANGOUTbn

B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/HANGOUTnook
iTunes: http://bit.ly/HANGOUTapple
Kindle: https://bit.ly/HANGOUTkindle
Amazon Paperback: http://bit.ly/HANGOUTamazon

12/20/2020

🪨✨
🤟🤟
🥁 👼

12/20/2020

LOVE 🤣♥️🎄🥳🎉

11/30/2020

I’ve past this onto my children 😬
Sorry, y’all 🎄🔪

YUP. It's me.
(creator unknown)