These three stories illustrate why you should never make assumptions about people—especially parents—based on what you see or hear. 1) “The SuperSized Coke and a Pack of Smokes” When the kids were younger, I took them to morning swim lessons at our local pool. One morning, while …
I’m not a marathon runner. But I am a mother, which is pretty much the same thing. Motherhood is like the ultimate marathon—long, grueling, exhilarating, and (at least according to those nutty runners) worth the pain and effort. Interestingly, if …
I remember the first time you grabbed my thumb with fierce but impossibly tiny fingers. You held on as if you’d never let go. After that, you grabbed at everything. Toys and teething rings, computer cords, cats’ fur, my hair. Let …
People say motherhood is hard for good reason. Fussy babies, sleep deprivation, excrement, whining, bullying, sex offenders, driver’s ed, college tuition . . . the list of parenting worries and woes is as endless as those restless newborn nights. But when you boil …
When our first child was a baby, I had plans to never yell at my kids. Not surprisingly, that parenting ideal jumped ship about the same time as “My kid’s never going to watch TV.” But I do try to only yell when necessary. …
My mom was born in the 1940’s, during the era when baby formula was touted as superior to breast milk. Formula feeding was the norm, and everyone she knew fed their babies with bottles. I’m not sure if she ever …
I recently took a trip all by myself. I had a meeting in San Diego for the magazine I work for, and I tacked on some extra days to visit friends, family, and my soul-mate, the ocean. At the Spokane airport, I …
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” – Mary Oliver I called my grandmother ten years ago to wish her a Happy Birthday—her 80th. She laughed and said, “Oh, Annie. I don’t …