Parenting
« Previous EntriesSolving the Energy Crisis
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008It seems you can’t get far on a little these days.
As gas hovers at $4 a gallon and grocery prices soar, the business of living takes an increasing amount of resources. With all the things I juggle throughout the week, my inner fuel reserves are sometimes in short supply as well by the time I […]
Bedtime Whispers
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008Conversation last night while snuggling in the rocking chair with my 9-year-old.
Daughter: Mom, what do you want for your birthday?
Me: Sigh. Can you wrap this up in a box and put a bow on it?
Daughter: But you already have it.
Me: I know, but I’d like to keep it for a long time.
Daughter: Oh, you […]
Nothing Is Bigger Than Daddy
Thursday, June 12th, 2008Nine years ago when our son was 2, we took him downtown to see the Christmas decorations in the small community where we lived. In the center of the square, there was a giant Santa that stood over 20 feet high.
As we pulled to the curb to look, our little boy’s eyes grew wide with […]
Happy Mother’s Day
Sunday, May 11th, 2008
For all you moms who tirelessly wipe little noses, change diapers, mend boo-boos with a kiss, shuttle kids to swimming lessons, attend piano recitals, help with schoolwork, stay up late waiting for teenagers to return home, pray for errant sons and daughters, help with grandchildren…
For every mother who cries at the kindergarten door, laughs at […]
Of Kids and Socks
Thursday, May 8th, 2008Just in time for Mother’s Day, a Harvard professor is informing us kids aren’t worth the trouble.
Having children is a recipe for long-term misery, Daniel Gilbert, a psychology professor at Harvard University, told a group of professionals this week in Sydney, Australia.
Expectant parents experience a spike in happiness, Gilbert told attendees at the Happiness and […]
Dance of a Lifetime
Thursday, April 10th, 2008My 9-year-old daughter is going to be a grandma. More accurately, she will be playing the part of a grandmother at the local theater Saturday in a ballet production of Little Red Riding Hood.
She’s been taking dance lessons since she was in kindergarten. In her first production, she was a ballerina puppy. It was a […]
Better Together
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008“Mom,” my 9-year-old daughter said one day as she wrapped her arms around my waist and buried her face in my ribs. “On our own, we’re both amazing women. But together, we’re even better.”
How right she is. Being a mom enriches my life in countless ways. The laughs, cuddles, dandelion bouquets and bubble-gum-scented kisses enlarge […]
Embracing good enough
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008In honor of Valentine’s Day tomorrow, I am republishing an article that appeared last year in TPE magazine.
The first-grade teacher’s request seemed simple enough. Each child was to decorate a slotted box to take to school for Valentine’s Day.
“If you don’t have time to do a box, a paper lunch sack will work fine,” the […]
Growing pains
Monday, February 4th, 2008There she was, her little face all aglow, taking three wobbly baby steps. Even as I cheered and held out my arms, I couldn’t help but think how each new step would take her farther from my embrace.
I’ve noticed parenting is like that. Holding on and letting go. I prayed that when the time came, […]
Confessions of a soccer mom dropout
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008For the record, I am not a soccer mom. Though my kids are fit and physically active, neither of them is interested in being part of a sports team right now. That suits me fine.
I thought I was doing my daughter a favor when I signed her up for soccer several years ago, at the […]
