We live in San Diego, and my parents live in the St. Louis area, so ever since I became a mom, I’ve racked up quite a few frequent flier miles just going back and forth. We even fly up to visit my …
Three Goals for a Simpler Summer
School ended on Friday, and we are now officially on summer vacation, as my 4-year-old keeps excitedly reminding us. We celebrated with a family trip to the drive-in to see How To Train Your …
Why Writing about My Family Makes Me a Better Mom
I recently saw the new movie Mom’s Night Out and loved it. Very funny and a great expression of what so many moms struggle with—the meaning of all the stuff we do, the way we feel that we’re not very …
Moving Past “Good Enough”
Last month the first grade project was building a diorama to display an animal of the student's choice. My son came home all fired up to get started, and after I got him a shoebox, he pretty much went …
Everything Is Awesome
We went to see The Lego Movie at the drive-in a few weeks ago. Popcorn, Reese's Pieces, beanbags and blankets in the back of the car--it was a sublime evening. The whole way home, …
Three Ways to Keep You (and Your Family) Sane on Road Trips
Learning to Enjoy the Journey We just got back from a road trip to Yosemite. On the way out it was just the boys and me for the roughly 8 hour journey. (My husband met us there.) I was more than a …
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Goodbye to the Diaper Bag
I've been carrying a diaper bag around for a long time now, almost seven years to be exact. I've gotten used to hauling this monster around-- to the …
Four Tips for Potty Training
My three-year-old just ran past me, chanting, "Pee-pee, don't come out yet! Don't come out yet, Pee-pee!" He's in the bathroom now, and hopefully all is going well. His recent …
“You Will Miss It”: The Back-to-School Blues
With my younger son starting preschool today and my older son in his second week of first grade, I now have three mornings a week all to myself! Celebration time, right? You …
A Very Boy Vacation
We just got home from a visit with my parents. Something I love (and miss) about the Midwest are the summer thunder showers. The boys loved lying in their beds and watching the lightning flashes and …
The Art of Housekeeping
A few months back I reported on my resolution to let my house be dirty. And to not care. So I thought I'd let you all know how that was going. And the answer is . . . pretty well, …
Raising Your Kids to Be Lifelong Readers
When I was a kid, I would rather read than do just about anything else. (The same is pretty much true for my adult self.) Many of my childhood memories involve books. I remember slumber parties …
The Best Lesson My Kids Ever Taught Me
Off the Hamster Wheel After I had my first son, my life was scheduled as it had never been scheduled before. Every three hours I would nurse him, but since I had trouble getting enough milk into him …
My Mommy Social Media Anxiety
At book group a couple of weeks ago, one of the moms mentioned that her babysitter had taken a picture of her kids and posted it on a social media site along with their first and last names. Well, …
The Prayer of a Sick Child
A few days before Christmas my grandfather passed away, and so my dad, my sister, my two boys and I drove from my parents' house in Illinois to Ohio for the funeral and visitation. To break up the 8- …
Middle of the Night Mom
Years ago I read the book I Don't Know How She Does It. One scene stuck in my head, the one in which the chronically sleep-deprived main character (businesswoman/mom/wife/stress case Kate) is in her …
