I've often said how thankful I am that, as a parent, we (collectively) get to grow into the phase of parenting teenagers... that if I had to learn how to parent teens first, I'd have suffered a nervous breakdown within the first month. Parenting babies and toddlers, by comparison, now seems easy to … Continue reading My Three Words, Teen Edition
Family
Oh, You’re FINE
If you're a parent of children who are old enough to communicate, chances are you've said this phrase to them more times than you can count. Falls, scrapes, scratches, bumps, bruises, bug bites... sometimes our kids complain so much that we become immune to it. It's a parenthood survival coping mechanism, I think. It doesn't … Continue reading Oh, You’re FINE
Photo Fail: The Story Behind the Picture
I'd like to share with you what is, undoubtedly, one of my most epic photo fails of all time. In fact, I actually dare you to beat me on this one. June 2nd: Graduation Day for our first born and our nephew. I'm emotional and excited, she's emotional and excited. I have a houseful of … Continue reading Photo Fail: The Story Behind the Picture
The House on Colonial Heights
There is a house on Colonial Heights with a postage-stamp-sized front yard. The hedges that lined the sidewalk, the garden in the corner with its portulacas and hens and chicks, and the shade from the trees with the low-hanging branches seemed to create their own little oasis, in my eight year old mind. The closed-in … Continue reading The House on Colonial Heights
There Is…
There is a song that plays on the radio, "Upside Down" by Jack Johnson, as we begin a long drive home. There are tears that I'm trying to keep, unsuccessfully, from leaking out of my eyes. There is a scratchy Dunkin Donuts napkin I use to wipe them away. There are memories tied to this … Continue reading There Is…
I am a Mom
I am a Mom. I am a Situation Assessor and a Situation Handler. I am the Chaser of Nightmares and the Monster Vanquisher I am the Maker of Magic Potions Sprinkler of Pixie Dust The Spider Catcher I am a Keeper of Secrets and a Finder of Things I am the Mood-Gauge and the Tone-Setter … Continue reading I am a Mom
The Job
You never think this time is going to come. You start this parenting journey and it seems so long and tiring at first. It's all sleepless nights and endless laundry and constant washing and feeding and worrying. Well, the worrying never stops, anyway. You think, if I can just get a full night's sleep, I'll … Continue reading The Job
The Story
I don't know much about the Vietnam War except what's been written in U.S. history textbooks. I am not a history buff. I know what my Dad, a veteran, has chosen to tell me, and that's very little. I know it was a war that divided generations of Americans, many stuck in their own … Continue reading The Story
Yankee Swap
I was first introduced to the Yankee Swap at our family Christmas party, although I don't remember exactly how long ago. I can't remember a family Christmas party without a Yankee Swap, so it's obviously been a tradition for a long time. Although everyone just called it the "Grab Bag," which seemed appropriate for the … Continue reading Yankee Swap
Potluck
I grew up thinking potluck dinners were the only way to feed a large gathering of people. My Dad grew up in a large family, and I have more cousins than I could name when I was little. We would gather several times a year- my Gram's birthday, Christmas Eve, spring clean-ups. My aunts would … Continue reading Potluck
