Because sometimes being a parent means doing what’s hard.
Posted in babies, family life on Mar 5th, 2010
OK, so Pam and Jim had their baby on The Office last night. (And if you’ve got it DVR’d and haven’t watched yet, go away now and come back later, because spoilers are ahead).
They had a girl.
I want a girl. I really, really do. And for all the ridiculous reasons — the clothes are cuter, [...]
Posted in family life, grandparents, vacation on Feb 24th, 2010
Regular readers may have noticed I didn’t post last week — that’s because we were in Florida for a bit over a week, visiting my parents, who some years ago joined the throng of Northerners who take off for southern climes in January and don’t come back until April or so, leaving their progeny with [...]
Posted in exercise, family life on Feb 5th, 2010
I have this very strong, distinct memory of my mother, probably not too long after she gave birth to my little brother, watching Jack LaLanne on TV and following along. I’m not sure why I was home (I was in second grade when my brother made the scene), but there I was with her, in [...]
Posted in family life, humor on Dec 22nd, 2009
So, I didn’t change my name when I married my dear husband just over 9 years ago. Surprised? No one who knew me was, but I’m continually surprised at the hoopla it causes even now. Or maybe especially now, with our two sons firmly entrenched in the local public school system. But more on school [...]
Posted in discipline, family life on Nov 24th, 2009
Did anyone see this article in the New York Times’ Style section the other day? It’s by Alex Williams, it’s titled Becoming the Alpha Dog in Your Own Home, and woo, boy did I get a good laugh over it. In a good way, I assure you! The story is about how some parents today [...]
Posted in family life, grandparents on Nov 20th, 2009
Yesterday, I was reading my friend Lenore Skenazy’s blog, Free Range Kids. She posted about a “Dear Amy” advice column that appeared in the paper — the writer of the question, a grandmother, had an interesting problem: She and her husband have been babysitting their grandson, overnight, twice a week, since he was born (right [...]
Posted in family life, spirituality on Nov 17th, 2009
The boys and I have just begun our second year of religious education at our church. Remember, if you are/were Catholic or grew up with Catholic friends, the old CCD, or Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, a.k.a. a weekly class either in a parents’ home or at the church, that pretty much ended after Confirmation in [...]
Posted in family life, fictional mean moms on Nov 9th, 2009
Some fellow Mad Men-obsessed writers and I were discussing the finale episode from last night. So, if you’ve not yet watched, and would hate me for revealing spoiler plot points, click away right now and come back after you view the episode (and if you don’t watch, please keep reading anyway; I have a point [...]
Posted in family life, mommy guilt on Oct 22nd, 2009
I keep trying to think of a clever start to this post, and all I can come up with is this:
Tomorrow, I’m off on a cruise, without my husband or the boys, I will be gone a total of four days, and I don’t feel guilty.
At least, I don’t feel guilty any more.
The trip was [...]
Posted in babies, birthday parties, family life on Oct 16th, 2009
Today is my baby James’ fifth birthday. My second son. And even though I’m a second child, and my husband is, too, we still managed to infect our darling baby with Second Child Syndrome.
I’m beginning to believe it’s inevitable. All parents are prone, the second time around, to be less awed (and less cowed) by [...]