One of the things I love most about my 4-year old son is his independence. He wants to pour his own orange juice. He wants to make his own lunch. He wants to put his own shoes on. He even enjoys putting the flatware away when we empty the dishwasher. This gives me great hope … Continue Reading →
A pretty big question has been bouncing around my mind lately: How do you know when you are done having babies? For quite awhile, I have been leaning towards done. I’m 35 years old, and I am fortunate to have one girl and one boy who are both healthy. I no longer have to buy … Continue Reading →
My youngest daughter was just a baby when she met my mother-in-law’s sister. We have a few pictures of all of us together. I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve seen her or her family since. It’s hard living states away. She doesn’t even live in the same state as my … Continue Reading →
Turning 10 and 16 were the only two birthdays that resulted in hosting a party at my house when I was growing up. I’ve never felt slighted, and yet, for some reason, I’ve made my children’s birthdays much grander year after year. It started quite by accident, actually. We decided to let my first born … Continue Reading →
When I was teacher, I would countdown to vacations. I reveled in the fact that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I had a chance to regroup so that I could return somewhat refreshed. I never once felt guilty about those breaks, either. I managed more than 150 kids, I was … Continue Reading →
Last weekend my almost 7-year-daughter calmly stated while playing on the computer, “You know, Mom, my ears hurt.” Not one to overdramatize being sick, I knew that chances of her having an ear infection after having a nasty cold all week were probably pretty great. I was not comfortable waiting until Monday to see a doctor … Continue Reading →
When deep in the trenches of motherhood, I sometimes feel as if I am drowning in worry brought on by an overabundance of difficult choices. Are my children eating enough whole foods? Are they reading enough? Are they active enough? Do they have the tools to do well in social situations? I feel that the … Continue Reading →
I had high hopes of being able to come up with some valuable tips each week worthy of a blog post, but it appears that what I’m really good at is starting fires rather than putting them out. I seem to have much experience in hindsight and not much in avoiding the problem altogether. It … Continue Reading →
I truly believed that not making the Sandy Hook horror the focus of all conversation in our home was the right decision in order to shield my children from such horror. But I was wrong.
My youngest daughter loves to learn. She absorbs information as fast as I can pour it out. We were fortunate enough to find a kindergarten program that really appealed to her personality, making the start of our educational journey positive. The classroom was small and the teacher took the time to address each child’s learning … Continue Reading →