I woke early, remembered four extra teen boys sleeping in my house – somewhere – and stopped by one of my favorite spots, trying to hold off on that first dose of caffeine. I dropped in at Kristen’s place, Motherese, where there was a particular cookie. And it looked delicious, and perfect, and made me […]
Are You Superstitious?
When a birthday rolls around, I want a candle and a wish. My kids shake their heads, but I don’t care if it’s a candle in play-doh, a bran muffin, a cupcake, or a piece of fruit. I want to make a wish. Why? Because since my sons were born, my birthday wishes have always […]
Painting Over
Our walls, ourselves, our children.
Courage
Sometimes our children surprise us. Really surprise us. I remember my older son defending his much littler brother against a bully, a kid who was beefier than both of them put together. But my first-born threw himself into the fray without hesitation, and got the bully to back off. Flash forward nine years. That bully […]
Why do people cheat?
Do you cheat? Let me be more specific. After all – there’s cheating and then there’s fudging a little, right? Did you ever cheat in school? Did you ever cheat at a game? Do you rationalize cutting corners? Did you ever cheat in a relationship, and how “far” is cheating? How do you define cheating? […]
Sleeping Sagas, Restless Legs
I feel great. I mean really great. I haven’t felt this well in some time. I’ve had three consecutive nights of 7 hours of sleep. I realize that many people sleep six or seven hours each night and think nothing of it. For me, this is a feat, and vital. It’s the difference between a […]
Metro Tickets in My Pocket, Black Cat, Mashed Potatoes
Metro tickets in my pocket I finally drop my weary body onto the bed. It’s nearly 9 at night and my son pops into my room and wants to go out. It’s Thanksgiving break. He’s 16. Of course he wants to go out. Where? To a nearby pizza joint, about two miles away where friends […]
Now a Word About Quality…
Choosing quality over quantity or quantity over quality? Issues in quality relationships, customer service, consumer behavior.
Why Teenagers Should Have Parties… In Spite of Their Parents
Scared to death to let your teenagers have a party? Don’t be. Really. You could say it’s old hat around here (and I don’t mean my gorgeous $2 estate sale hat), but the thought of any teenage gathering is enough to set the parental teeth on edge, the slivers of gray to pop out overnight, […]
The restorative powers of sleep. (Not.)
Sleep, with all its remarkable restorative powers – to renew, to recharge, to dream. Then we wake refreshed, and begin a new day. No. There are no restorative powers of sleep for me, only restless legs, flailing about, waking repeatedly, disturbing dreams. The morning. Too soon. A knock on my door. It is not yet […]