All Creatures Great and Small
We just wrapped up a couple of fun, family-filled days in the Windy City. It was our Last Blast of Summer — a little mini get-away before the kids begin the 2014/15 school year. We loaded up the Navigator — with 23 DVDs for our 4-hour trip — and established the ground rules: 1) No […]
From the NICU to the Open Road #TBT
Gus is getting his driver’s permit in two days. His annual NICU reunion takes place in seven more. Six days after that, he’ll be a high school sophomore. Today’s Throwback Thursday post goes all the way back to his fragile beginning, his precarious start, when we measured time in seconds, not days. He serves, always, […]
Say Uncle
Last week, I received a sweet email from a former colleague of mine. She and I met when I made my reluctant re-entry into the full-time work force just shy of a decade ago. I was the ketchup-splattered, sleep-deprived mother of four who was trying to reclaim her cobwebby corporate dreams. She was an energetic, […]
Their Father
I was born to a father who chose not to stay, his departure the resounding chorus of my young life… Why not? Why? The lesson I learned from him was this: we can’t wish someone into being who we need them to be. At fourteen, I was gifted with a stepfather who made a different […]
What I Did On My Summer Vacation
Do kids still write back-to-school essays about their summer adventures? If so, this is what mine will say in August: Nothing. It won’t be entirely true. We’ll do Some Things. We’ll sit by the pool and paddle-boat on the lake. We’ll fish and watch movies and build bonfires and roast marshmallows. We’ll chase the dogs […]
Every Day Is Mothers Day
I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a stuffy nose. Lucy was whining and licking my hand, wanting to be let outside. Once there, she snapped at carpenter bees until she wore herself out and cried to come back in. So began Mothers Day. I called my beautiful Mom, wished her a […]
When We Know Better
I’ve spent some time recently re-reading old blog posts (which are, by the way, not on this site) and excerpts from “Table for Six.” It’s been an eye-opener for sure, a testament to growth and maturity and perspective. And hard as it is to admit, some less-than-stellar writing… and parenting. As a young mom to […]
Sharing Sunday with John Green
Celebrate my 44th at Noah Grant’s with my best friend and listen to John Green speak all within a 24-hour window? It was a no-brainer. As soon as Andi mentioned the possibility, we loaded the three youngest kids in the car — Mary Claire and George bursting with the anticipation of meeting their literary and […]
I Don’t
I hear it said to mothers of young kids all the time: You’re gonna miss this when they’re teens. But here’s my counter-argument: Maybe you won’t. I don’t. Sure, every once in a while, I long for the feel of their baby soft skin and and a glimpse of their toothless grins. But I don’t […]
Mama Love
It is her birthday today, my Mama. And also, Elvis’s. I always have to do the math. Mom had me when she was 30… I am 43… that makes her 73 today. 73 years is a long time to be loved unconditionally, and yet my Mom has always been up to the task. We may […]