I asked my summer assistants, who that day consisted of two boys and two girls, ages five to eight. And here’s what I got, verbatim: There’s gonna be fireworks. You can have a picnic and some parties. And you can…
Q: My 18-year-old goes to college in the fall. She has never been around alcohol. We do not drink at home and none of her high school friends drank. I’m worried she’s in for a rude awakening. Is there anything we…
I have spent the better part of a decade cheering for my three sons from bleacher seats, making seasonal adjustments to the volume and verbiage of my encouragement. Though my cheers betray my athletic incompetence, many of my sideline cohorts know…
There’s this one: I don’t think my dog is in pain, because he doesn’t yelp. Or this one: My dog still chases squirrels. How could she have arthritis? Both are logical conclusions from attentive, loving pet owners. However, people and…
And just like that, there he is. My older son, Ben. All graduated from high school. Boom. And of course it was grand. And of course we were so proud. I was guilty of maudlin Facebook posting and over-hugging and…
While at the store the other day, I noticed a parent try to quiet a whining child. I saw the parent rolling his eyes, and I released an empathetic sigh. I knew how he felt when I heard the pleading: “Please,…
Have you ever wondered why your white shirt or socks turned pink in the laundry? Oops! How did that red towel get in there? Our clothes are colored using different combinations of dyes to get the perfect color. We can use…
The bottom line for success in your financial house boils down to one word: budget. More specifically, know your monthly budget and the numbers that make it up. Now, I’m not talking about the easy figures, like the mortgage, power…
There’s a name for what a lot of us are doing. It’s hyper-parenting. Don’t give me that look, I didn’t come up with it. Hyper-parenting is a term coined by psychiatrist Alvin Rosenfeld in his book, The Over-Scheduled Child:…
Zucchini Cupcakes with Lemon Mascarpone Icing Line two muffin tins with paper liners and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground…
