Parenting has been life changing. I’ve raised a kid as a single-mom by choice who used a sperm donor. We had adventures, learned some lessons and had a great time. Katie went to different schools that did and didn’t work. I worked with parents along the way to provide Katie with lots of different experiences. We traveled the state of California and beyond. I was committed to living small so she could learn large.
“Mom, you have to stop,” Katie tells me firmly but still calmly. Thank goodness she’s patient. “You know,” I said, “I think I am having an epiphany. I need to unlearn how to parent you. I have been doing these things since you were born and now I need to stop doing them. And that’s… More Unlearning Parenting
Um, no stopping in the red zone! Jeez. I am way too cool and too hip to be such a dud. I realized, while driving home from dropping off the kid at school, that there’s some insane super-ego voice in my head providing a constant narration of what everyone else is doing wrong. Don’t try… More Holy Crap! I’ve Turned into a Curmudgeon
Patricia Heaton as Frankie Heck on ABC’s The Middle. I was extremely moved by the events in Arizona last weekend (and this week). I listened to President Obama’s speech, hanging on every word about the incredible people who died and those who survived the brutal attack. And I have been caught up in the national… More Out Here in The Middle: Changing America One Parent at a Time
Today was tough. I knew it was going to be rough – Katie would be tired from four days of over doing. I had plenty to do workwise and I thought I had set aside a few things to keep Katie busy. I was going to push it – our consultant said to take things… More Hard Day: Missing Friends and the Weird Guy at the Park
Today was a first for Katie. She had her first babysitting job. Okay – not really baby-sitting – it was “mommy’s helper” – but she was responsible for keeping Roark happy, engaged and safe while his mom and I worked. We used the babysitting as a home school opportunity and studied up on child care,… More A First! A Chance to Babysit! Awesome!
Have you watched The Baby Borrowers yet? I am not a big one for reality TV, I don’t even watch American Idol. But I had read about the impact this show had when it was done in the UK and I was anxious to see if American television would somehow mess it up. Good news:… More Baby Borrowers: TV You Can Watch with the Family
Today’s blog is strictly personal. Last weekend, we made a mistake. We accidentally forgot to open the door to our chicken roost so the chickens had to sleep in the coop without the protection of the roost. Around 3am, I heard a horrible noise. I cannot say enough about how horrible that noise was. I… More Chicken Little: The Night the Sky Fell
I had no idea what I was getting into. Sure I wanted to try the new Wii Fit. It sounded great. Only I blew it. I didn’t preorder it – what was I thinking – and no matter how I tried, I couldn’t find it locally. And then it happened. Kismet. Chance. Divine intervention. I… More Family Feud: Three Generations Compete on the Wii Fit!
Some days, I am so wiped out I just want to make a bowl of microwave popcorn, grab a Diet Pepsi and watch reruns. But no, I decided to be a mom. So I must soldier on. But it seems like tech could help me out just a bit. Here’s my list of what tech… More I Got Your Innovation Right Here! Top Ten Ways Tech Could Help Tired Moms
Permission slips were due last Friday for the school talent show. Let’s get real, this is elementary school – how much talent can there really be? The slip specifically noted no “lip singing” which appalled me. Is there no one proofreading these documents or do they really think that means lip-synching? Anyway… After a day… More The School Talent Show, Twitter, American Idol and the Joy of Parenting