Kristi Pahr

Kristi Pahr

Bio

Kristi is a stay at home mom with two small boys and a very messy house. She and her family raise goats and pigs and she pretends to know something about homesteading. She went to college in the 90s and didn’t learn much, but she met her husband there, so it wasn’t a total waste of time. They were married a short time later and have spent the last 16 years trying to “settle down” and “be normal”. It’s been a huge and glorious mess. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter. Read her blog www.freespiritmama.com.

Kristi Pahr Articles

Life ain't so simple anymore. (Image Credit: Thinkstock)

5 Things I'm Panicking About As I Approach 40

Life looks a lot different at 40 than it did at 25, and I have a whole new list of things to worry about. It's a very long list, and it makes me anxious on the best day, plain terrified on the worst day, and on a run-of-the-mill day, it just keeps reminding me that I'm clueless about what to think and what to do and how to be grown.

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(Image Credit: Thinkstock)

Advanced Maternal Age AKA Holy Crap, I'm Tired

I feel like if I’d started earlier, had my first kid at 28 instead of 34, maybe I’d be a little less tired right now. Maybe I’d be a more fun mom if my knees didn’t sound like small arms fire every time I tried to run with my son. Maybe I’d be a better mom if I was younger. But I don’t think so. My kids? They’re awesome. And I’m the mom they have, so I must be doing something right, old or not.

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Image Credit: Thinkstock

The Day My Son Punched Me In The Face

My parenting mantra is: "Do your best and hope he doesn't turn into a sociopath." And I guess that's really all we can do, because if we're honest with ourselves, I think none of us really know what we're doing.

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image credit: Thinkstock

Doing Nothing: Self-Care For The Truly Lazy 

My version of self-care is a little less “best life” and a little more “no life”, but it works for me.

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Building up one while breaking down the other is not the solution.

Is Empowering Girls Devaluing Our Boys?

As a mother of boys, I find this trend disturbing. Yes, we need to build up our girls. We need to empower them and teach them that they are capable and viable and powerful — that they are smart and that they matter. But we cannot devalue our boys in the process.

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 I hit a wall, and begged for an epidural. (Image: Thinkstock)

My VBAC Was Supposed To Be Magic; Nope, I Hated It

When I got pregnant for the third time, I was determined to have an unmedicated VBAC. I had big plans. This VBAC was going to be my birth experience salvation. It was going to be empowering and amazing and heal all my hangups. I was going to be a mama goddess and everything was going to be perfect. I was wrong.

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No retail "therapy" here.

When Shopping For Clothes Is Traumatizing

I have to go shopping tomorrow and I’m dreading it.

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On proving that determination can show up at any age. (Image credit: Kristi Pahr)

I Climbed A Mother Effing Mountain

I’m lazy as hell, you guys. I know it’s true and I’m not particularly ashamed.

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Baby + lost salary = struggle (Image Credit: Thinkstock)

Raising Our Family On One Income: Chaotic But Worth It

I know how it feels to not contribute financially to the household. I know how it feels to be completely dependent on someone else for my financial stability. I know how it feels to know that if something dreadful and unthinkable happened, I’d be completely destitute. And it’s terrifying.

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