The snow lay on the ground, but it was not crisp and even. In fact there was hardly any snow on the parking lot. Not only was there little snow, but there were no cars. “Where was everyone?” I said out loud. My 3-year-old son sat in his car seat clutching his backpack. He was…
Kids are supposed to get wet at a swim meet. No question. Swimming = wet. But what about the adults? This past Saturday we had the wettest and possibly most miserable swim meet ever. On that Saturday swim meet it rained. It was chilly. There was a cold wind as well. The drizzle turned to…
I’m sure you remember the days when you literally threw a few outfits in a suitcase. Tossed in toiletries, a swimsuit, sunscreen, and a couple of pairs of shoes. Hey presto! You were ready for vacation. Fast forward a few years and a couple of kids and preparing for vacation is anything but easy. Right…
Am I the CEO of my family? Some years ago, I would have heard that term and snickered. CEO? “I’m not a CEO of anything,” I would have said. Back then I was the mom of one child. My baby and I were a little unit. We did everything together. It was hardly work raising…
Do you want to know what get’s a good workout in my house? Hint: It’s not me. Do you give up? The answer is my checkbook. That’s right. Over the school year, my checkbook is put through it’s paces. I’m constantly hauling it out to buy this or that. Doesn’t matter whether it is morning,…
Kid: Mom, I need…a new ruler…new pair of scissors…a box of tissues for the classroom…cupcakes for my birthday…a science fair display board… Mom: When do you need this by? Kid: Tomorrow! If you were a fly on the wall in my house, you would hear this conversation quite frequently. Different kid. Different item needed. Sometimes…
Only toddlers are picky eaters, right? I used to think that this was true. My oldest was a terribly picky eater. At 2, she had her orange-only food phase. Unless her food was cheese, cantaloupe, or carrots — she wouldn’t eat it. By 2 1/2, she moved to her “I will only eat food dipped…
I know birthday parties. With a kid, a preteen, and a teen, I have organized close to 40 birthday parties since the mid 90s. Some years I organized two parties; one for the birthday child’s friends and one for family. It’s a whole lot of work, but when the birthday child is grinning from ear…
As a college student, I flew many times. I would head home for the holidays by trains, planes, and automobiles. I would hop in a taxi headed for the train station. Take a train to the airport. Fly for 7 hours. Hop another plane to my hometown of Manchester, England. Traveling by myself was…
