On Sunday, my husband came home from work and saw an empty planter. “What happened to our plant?” he asked. “I threw it out.” “Was it dead?” he asked. “Not really.” “You just got tired of it?” “Kind of.” “So you euthanized it?” “I guess,” I said. “I kept it alive for two years, then […]
Ironic Mom
StuffKidsWrite.com: Mom Is Not Your Boss
I remember watching episodes of Who’s the Boss. I even thought Tony Danza was cute. Well, times change. And most of us know who’s the boss in our households. Or do we? Head over to Stuff Kids Write to see what Tamara Lunardo’s seven-year-old daughter has to say about this very question. Simply click HERE […]
The Return of Whiteboard Wednesday
Today marks the return of Whiteboard Wednesdays. If you have no idea what this is, neither do my kids. So know that you’re not alone. Basically, Whiteboard Wednesday is when I write down something semi-idiotic that I said while parenting in the past week. This is easier than it seems. Some past Whiteboard Wednesday comments […]
How To Be the Teacher’s Pet
It’s holiday Monday. There’s nothing teachers like better than a holiday Monday, except eight of them in a row, which is also known as summer. Today–a delicious holiday Monday–I’m pleased to bring you a guest post from the hilarious Tyler Tarver. Tyler is a teacher and a dad and an author, not necessarily in that […]
Reign of Terror: Unleashing Kids on Grandma's House
My parents live in a new house. It’s beautiful, but my kids tried their best to change that this summer. In our first week there, my seven-year-old twins gouged several walls, wrote on my parents’ RV (just in dust, thankfully), and broke a banister. Technically, Vivian and William didn’t break the whole banister: just a […]
Win Tickets to Cirque du Soleil
I am Canadian and I have not seen Cirque du Soleil perform. I’m pretty sure this is akin to a New Zealander not having watched the Haka. Or an Italian not having eaten pasta. Or… I’d go on, but I’m already experiencing a metaphor meltdown. This is going to change, though. Not my overreaching metaphors, […]
Grace Is Free, But It Sure Ain’t Cheap
Last week, this “guy” named Bill Sergott–who I’d seen around the internet before–left a comment on my post, When Your Child Wonders What Age To Have a Baby, Ask Facebook that took by breath away. Within the first paragraph I could tell that he was witty, intelligent (Hello, String Theory), as well as a loving […]
The Horrors of Minigolfing with Children
If you’ve minigolfed with young children, you’re likely aware that it’s a dangerous activity that could require hospitalization. To read about the mini-putt injuries we sustained when Vivian and William were four years old, please go to my humour column, which was published in yesterday’s Calgary Herald. Click here: Minigolfing with Kids: A Bad Idea. […]
10 Signs of Summer, Literally
In the past couple months, I’ve collected some signs that have made me smile: Signs of Summer, if you will. Here are 10 of them. Sign 1: Graffiti in a Private School Bathroom (Final Exam Week) Sign 2: The Front Page of The Calgary Herald Sign 3: The Placement of James Rollins’ Book at Indigo […]
When Your Child Wonders What Age She Can Have a Baby, Ask Facebook
Last week, seven-year-old Vivian was back at it, peppering me with questions about God, sperm banks, and babies. This is why I don’t home school, I thought. From September to June, I can rely on her classmates to give the wrong answer; in July and August, however, it’s up to me. So when Vivian asked […]