It was the start of first grade for my youngest child. I remember standing among the other camera-wielding ‘mamarazzi’ waving to our children as their stubby legs, barely visible below bulging backpacks, stumped their way in a line behind their new teacher into school. We all lingered there, suspended for a few minutes. The swoosh…
When You Forget That You’re The Mom
Spiky hair, beefy biceps, swift dance moves. They epitomized every girls’ boy band dream. And they were only a few feet away from me, crooning their way down a long stage. My fingers tapped hard at the camera icon on my phone as one of the band members crouched down near the girls in front…
Back to School Tips & Inspiration
The August parenting magazines are out. You’ll find lots of tips and inspiration for starting the school year off well. Here are some of the articles I contributed to this month’s issues: Become School Supply Savvy, Orlando Family By now you’ve probably gotten your kids’ backpacks pretty well stocked. But in case you’re still on…
Growing a Bucket List
As summer draws to a close (only a week and a half until school starts here), I’m fascinated to see what has happened with the bucket lists in our family. We were fortunate to check off a number of goals, and even some long-standing ones. Yet the lists of what we still want to do…
Going After Dreams While Saving For Your Kids’ College
Living your bucket list dreams has to cost a lot, right? Can only the wealthy afford to check off their goals? Are the rest of us left to fulfill only one or two? Not really. My family is living out more dreams at a time when it would seem least likely for us to do…
Same event, different story
My hair whipped around my face and into my eyes so I could no longer see the crowd gathered round. I held tight to the ropes, turning my back on the cold air. And then came a short blast of burners. Heat rushed past my arms and the nylon envelope of the balloon billowed and…
A Great Summer Read: A Minor, by Margaret Ann Philbrick
I’ve heard that a large percentage of people dream of one day writing a book. We all have stories inside of us waiting to be told. But far fewer of us actually do the writing. That’s because it is really, really hard work. So I’m excited today to introduce you to my friend Margaret Philbrick,…
A Great Gift For Any Occasion (Hint: It Involves Sharing Time)
A recent issue of Family Circle featured the story of Lynya Floyd, who asked her friends on FaceBook to honor her birthday by leaving a message on her timeline – but not just a generic wish. She asked them to offer a suggestion. Floyd’s request? “Please note one epic adventure we haven’t been on that…
Bucket List Adventures Imperfectly Done
My family visited Nashville for the first time last week. We spent five days of our spring break in the city and checked off multiple bucket list goals (including seeing Nashville itself). We had a great time that promoted family bonding, even though we could have done better at making the most of it. Which…
Help for Spring Break, Spring Cleaning & More: March/April Articles
The kids are bickering, the house is a mess, and you’re just wishing you could get away from it all. Does that sound like your family’s spring break? No? Maybe yours goes more like this: the kids are bickering, your car/hotel room/suitcase is a mess, and you’re just wishing you could get away from it…