“I was having fun; why are you so mad at me?!” You’re tired, the kids are wired, and it seems like saying “no” is all you do. Welcome to crunch time – when jumping on the couch, running around a store, and touching everything is the perpetual motion of every child! This is when we’re… More Video Tip: Stop Saying “No”
We were stopped in the left turn lane of an intersection that was five lanes deep. Adrian was super mad and started to get out of the passenger seat – which means he would have stepped out into traffic. I shouted stop! And locked all the doors. For some reason that worked. That moment scared… More Stranger Things – The Upside Down World of Murder – Adrian Gonzales
I’m up early because it’s hard to sleep these days. Work is fantastic and home life is good, but I’m constantly thinking about what’s happening to our country. As I lay awake, I realized, there has been something good that’s happened within our family and it extends to several of my friendships. We’re talking again.… More View from the Left – The Upside of a Trump Presidency
At some point – and I could go figure out when this happened but it pretty much doesn’t matter – we took Driver’s Education out of our schools. Stupidest move ever. If you aren’t aware, here’s how our kids learn to drive today. 1. They take an online course to get a certificate. This is… More Teen Driving: How We Shot Ourselves in the Head in California
Katie is finally a junior and this summer she got her license. That means I don’t have to drive her around anymore. That means I am free. The result, I’m trying new things and having some adult fun once again. And, in my 53rd year, I’ve discovered three things that are keeping me very happy.… More The Joys of Midlife: A Kid that Can Drive and Three Things…
Look closely at that photo: On Friday she was barfing her guts out with the 24 hour flu; the bucket’s still there but now it appears papers are what’s been barfed out. What a way to study! I think the greatest testament to the first year of high school is the fact that I haven’t… More Someone Get Me a Xanax, It’s Finals Time
You can’t have her, she’s alllll mine…. A good friend of mine remembers his adolescence amazingly well. As I described to him the changes going on with my 14 year old daughter, a freshman in high school, he said, “It’s like she just got off the bus in the middle of Times Square. She is… More Just Got Off the Bus in Times Square
Last Monday Katie started a week of Crunchy Camp – that was her nickname for the workshop she was attending at the Resource Center for Nonviolence called Exploring Your Social Justice Community. She really enjoyed herself. It turns out it wasn’t a youth workshop (that’s on me, I misread the description) so she was with… More Workshop at the Santa Cruz Resource Center for Nonviolence
Alex and Katie: Separated at Birth? Now that Katie’s home from her last great adventure (and has clearly slept more than any Koala Down Under), it’s time for her to re-engage with humanity in a constructive way. Tomorrow she starts a week of learning about social justice at a student workshop called Exploring Your Social… More What if Alex P Keaton Attended a Nonviolence Workshop in Santa Cruz?
It was so easy. All I had to do to lure them away was send them a text. And then they were mine! Much to Katie’s chagrin – she really can’t complain, she’s off storming the South Pacific with People to People – I swiped her friends and took them to a food fest at… More It’s True, I Love Stealing Other People’s Children
First day and last day of middle school. Damn. Hard to believe the time has come. Middle school graduation was last week – I can’t believe how much this kid changed in one year. Who knew eighth grade would mark such significant developments. For a kid who really had one friend in middle school, she… More Wow – Just Changed the Blog Title to “It’s High School”
If you have been living under a rock or simply been too busy working or listening to the kids squabble, you could have missed YOLO. (You can watch this Jimmy Kimmel video to help you feel better about being so out of touch). It’s the current excuse to do anything you would normally not do… More LTS is the YOLO for the Over Forty Crowd
First Day of Middle School I’m so lucky. I have a fairly uncomplicated kid. Now that middle school is finally coming to an end, I realized what we really went through in the last three years. For anyone just starting out: hang in there – what comes out on the other end is totally… More Middle School is Almost Over – We Made It Through the Wilderness
Yeah, it sounds nuts. What the heck am I talking about? When I learned a long time ago that neuron connections are vital for a rich, healthy brain, it became my focus. I wanted to make sure that when I took information, I was building new connections and hopefully improving my ability to retain what… More Every Body Eats! Unleashing Katie’s Passion for Learning
Um, yeah. Katie pretending to be a fish. Don’t ask. I am a fan of Kickstarter. If you don’t know about this organization yet, you owe it to yourself to learn more. It’s a giant portal that hosts projects asking for donations from folks from all over. I have helped three projects so far and… More It’s Grassroots Baby – One Otter at a Time! Join the campaign!