It started as a perfect weekend morning. I was in bed drifting in and out of a sluggish slumber, Vivian was cuddling into my side, and William was seated between my feet. Some cartoon marathon that I couldn’t hear due to my earplugs was playing on the TV. Of course, if it starts as a […]
parenting
Bedtime Rhymes, Grimm Style
This summer, while spending a month at my parents’ house with William and Vivian, I learned that I’m not as much of a morning person as I think I am. I got used to my mom getting up with my kids and feeding them breakfast. I got used to sleeping in until 8:30. But that’s […]
Happy Make-More-Work-for-Mommy Day
. It’s bedtime. I’ve spent the past sixty minutes doing the following: sorting through kids’ dresser drawers and replacing summer tees with winter hoodies; hooking up lonesome socks congregating in a singles’ drawer; picking up books that have been flung by discus athletes-in-training; and removing embedded Lego pieces from my bare feet. A typical evening. […]
Shakespeare on Parenting
We have to study Shakespeare to graduate from high school, yet we don’t have to study anything to become a parent. What if Shakespeare could instruct us on the demands of childrearing? Or easier yet–what if we could twist the titles of his plays and apply them to parenting? Here are 10 titles of Shakespeare’s […]
On the Move: Dentists, Paying It Forward, and My 10 Cents
Dental Drama This morning, at 7 a.m., I was in the dental chair with my mouth cranked open as some medieval instruments threatened to give me a tongue piercing. I don’t love the dentist. I can’t understand how engineers put men on the moon over 40 years ago (and decided to bring them back) but […]
Did I Say That Out Loud? How To Embarrass Your Kids
Sometimes I think sitting down as a family at dinner is overrated. At least for the mother. I miss my university days of having a bagel and Sunchips in front of the TV with my roommate while watching Jeopardy and reruns of The Muppets. Now, in our Lego filled house, dinner table conversations sometimes seem […]
Bring Out Your Dead: Parenting & Gardening
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 […]
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 […]
Parenting According to Twitter
I think Twitter knows more about my parenting style than anyone in real life does. There’s nothing like putting the fun in dysfunctional in a public forum. Here are some of my parenting tweets from the past month. (If you’re not on Twitter, here’s a key. DD: Dear Daughter, DH: Dear Husband, 7yo: 7-year-old) Chapter […]