As the mom of a (mostly) one-income family for the past 13 years, I've had to do my best to find ways to occupy my kids in the summer without spending much money. We've had lots of fun in our backyard with the slip-n-slide and water balloons, and spent hours in the cool basement riding... Continue Reading →
It used to be me who asked. After hours of feeding, wiping, changing, bathing and feeding again, I'd look up at the clock and mumble with gritted teeth, "When will Daddy be home?" In the early days, it was hard. I did everything I could to be a fun mommy. I set up a little... Continue Reading →
When my youngest, Anna started kindergarten, I thought we'd both be thrilled. She had talked all summer about using her new lunchbox and riding the bus like her brothers, and after having been home for 12 years with kids, I was ready for a quiet house. When the time came to go, she walked right... Continue Reading →
It was easy to think I knew everything about being a parent before I had kids, and even after I had just one. Sometimes people did things differently than I would, and in many instances, different meant wrong. It wasn't until I had three kids of my own that I found out how many people I had misjudged, because not only is each child different, but each... Continue Reading →
If you're looking for a fun way to keep your kids occupied this summer without spending a lot of money, Geocaching may be your answer. My kids and I found our first Geocache last year and since then we have discovered more than 100 caches in the St. Louis area. Since I remember being confused about Geocaching when I first heard... Continue Reading →
Fifteen years ago, my family discovered a show that made us laugh together. It was about a couple raising four boys, and it aired on Sunday nights. Malcolm seemed to be the only normal one in a family of crazy people, and the story was told from his perspective. "Hey, are you going to mom and... Continue Reading →
I almost spit out my water as I read a private message from my friend last week. "How do you keep your house so clean?" She couldn't be talking about me. Or was this an April Fool's joke? When I asked her what she was talking about, she said she had seen a picture of my kids... Continue Reading →
Last year for six months, the sound of a tug boat -- sometimes a tug boat blowing into a foghorn -- traveled from my son's room and filled our whole house. In 5th grade, he was told to practice his saxophone every night for 20 minutes, and he refused to miss a night, even when we said it was okay to miss... Continue Reading →
There are few places that make me feel happy the moment I walk through the door. One is my parents' house - where I grew up and feel unconditional love and can open the fridge and eat or drink whatever I want. Another is my own home, where my husband and I have made new memories with our kids and we... Continue Reading →
Growing up, there weren't many days that I didn't see my mom putting on makeup. It wasn't just in the mornings before she went to work, but also on days she spent at home doing laundry or cleaning. When guests were coming over in the evening, she'd be in the bathroom until the last minute, still touching up or powdering her nose when they arrived.... Continue Reading →
Who Stole My Bon Bons? 