Their Two Dads
There was no more fun to be had. Not for us anyway. The Dippin’ Dots buzz that had sustained us for the last hour had officially melted away. Attention guests. The park is now closed. Please proceed to the…
Help for Parents
Q Our four-year-old daughter has a blankie she absolutely cherishes, especially at bedtime. We have a policy of leaving the blanket on her bed in the morning. Lately she has been begging to take the blanket to childcare with her…
Hallowed Playground
I just ordered our third wraparound safety net for the trampoline. Last week, I picked up our fourth fade-resistant, no-mold, never break market umbrella at Lowe’s. If it were in the budget, and if anyone could swear to me…
8 Things a Survivor Wants You to Know
In 2007, the world celebrated New Year’s Eve without me. I spent the morning with an oncologist trying to absorb his life-changing diagnosis: “You have breast cancer.” What a surprise, since I eat right, exercise regularly, and follow guidelines for…
What They’ll Never Know
You would think resourceful children born in our digital age would know how to find a simple phone number. But if my kids are any guide, basic skills that were second nature to my kith and kin back when dinosaurs…
Safety First for Kids
Years ago, my husband and I lived next door to a family of avid motorcycle enthusiasts. They had motorcycle-inspired clothing, toys for the kids, and lots of hogs of their own. On warm evenings, they would park the motorcycles on…
Firearms and Family Life
Guns, guns, guns. They are being discussed in the news, on our Facebook walls, and in legislative meeting rooms across the country. It's a touchy topic, and people tend to have opinions that burn red-hot. In the name of some…
Life Can Be Greener
When our first child was born, my instincts kicked in: I wanted to raise our child in a healthy, natural home. The whole family took baby steps towards becoming greener. I started by researching non-toxic cleaners and other ways we…
Lawn Girls
The little girl on my front porch steps stood about a hair bow taller than the wrought iron rail. She circled both hands around her mouth, forming the smallest of megaphones. The roar of the motor drowned out her tiny…
To Be or Not 2b
April! What other month can inspire a spat that covers half a millennium? Geoffrey Chaucer kicked things off when he rhapsodized about April showers being a "sweet liquor." (Okay, his actual words were "swich licour" but when I typed that…
