mother

  • Twelve-going-on-thirteen

    As we get ready for Brian to start middle school, I find myself totally overwhelmed.  Twelve-going-on-thirteen is a rollercoaster.  Sometimes my son is incredibly annoyed by every member of our family (mostly me) and is steadfastly stubborn in his belief that everyone else is living a life much better and grander than his own.  At other times,…

  • Learning to Swim

    I have taken my kids to swim lessons at a local college for years and have always loved this program.  They swim for a half hour each day for two weeks, learning new skills quickly.  This has been an odd Summer since one of my kids is away at camp and this is the first swim…

  • Sweatshirt

    Last night I was talking to my Mom who art in Heaven and was simultaneously wiping tears away with my sweatshirt sleeve. Today I grabbed that same sweatshirt to go for a run.  It got wet with rain and I finally tore it off and used it to wipe sweat from my face as I finished…

  • My Daughter, My Hero

    We rarely get the opportunity to be truly present in a moment we know will impact our children’s lives.  Those moments are usually best appreciated in hindsight…they stand out to us because of what happened afterwards.  But last night, I got to witness something pretty amazing.  My eleven year old daughter had her very first violin…

  • Dear Poison Ivy,

      Dear Poison Ivy, No one could say the time we’ve spent together this week was fun, but now that the rash is receding from my face and neck, I’ve found I’ve learned a few things along the way for which I have you to thank. 1. Toxic lifeforms will give you advance warning if…

  • Blessings

    Ever since my children were in preschool, I have said a little prayer over them as I’ve dropped them off for the day.  In those early years, it was so hard to leave them in someone else’s hands.  Until they went to school, they grew in an environment that was controlled mostly by me.  School…