Parenthood & Parenting Tips
The Real Good Days
I recently walked into a conversation and one of the women was saying that the day she gave birth was the best day of her life. Well, it wasn’t for me. It sucked. I was in labor for 16 hours and the pain was unbearable. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain but at one point,…
Read MoreBelly Hurts
My youngest daughter, Lovey, is currently due for her 2-year-old check up. The doctor’s office is in Petoskey, a cute little town in northern Michigan about 45 minutes away from camp, so I decided to make a day of it.
Read MoreThe Thing About Play Dates…
The term “play date” has always been of interest to me. There aren’t many like it in the English language. It’s really the only term I can think of that is filled with formality, necessity and stupidity all at the same time.
Read MoreYou’re Not Alone (VI)
I’m not saying these are all about me. I’m just saying if you feel the same way, you’re not alone. You’re not alone if… 1. You love saying “Bless Your Heart” to people and you don’t live in the south. 2. You are convinced that Justin Bieber’s famous haircut is just a “bowl cut” with…
Read MoreFirst Words
If you have a kid who is just learning to talk and you’re pushing for the kid to learn the word “Mama” or “Daddy,” stop what you’re doing and read my words first. Forget “Mama” and “Daddy.” Your kid will learn those words soon enough and after they say it 50 times in a row (in…
Read MoreAre We Closing The Book On Bookstores?
The movie You’ve Got Mail (1998) was primarily about love blooming over the internet even though the lead characters were business rivals in real life. It also explored the demise of the independent book store at a time when “mega” bookstores were first starting to take over. It’s a solid example of art imitating life. Borders and Barnes & Noble bookstores were popping up all over the place, king kong’ing many (if not all) of the small, local bookstores that stood in their way.
I remember getting angry as Meg Ryan’s character walked through the “Fox Books” super bookstore. It was a big store and, to me, uninviting. Sure, it boasted nice discounts, fancy coffee drinks and more variety, but it lacked the charm and warmth of “The Shop Around The Corner.“ I pointed at that “Fox Books“ and thought to myself: You big bully bookstores! You just wait. You’ll get yours one day!
Well, I think that day is here.
Read MoreHappy Mother’s Day
Today is Mother’s Day. It’s a very special day in which we honor mothers, grandmothers and stepmothers–unless you’re a wicked stepmother and then you don’t get honored, but you do get representation in almost every Disney movie.
On this day, I’d like to take a moment to wish one mother in particular a very Happy Mother’s Day: Sweet Pea’s birth mother. (Sorry, mom, I know you thought it was going to be you. You’re good too. Bang up job on both of your kids, really nice work).
I don’t know the circumstances surrounding Sweet Pea’s birth mother’s decision to give up her daughter. Maybe she was waiting for a son. Maybe she already had a child and the one child rule in China prevented her from having another. Maybe she wasn’t married. I don’t know. I just know that a very selfless mother in a country very far away brought my child into this world and I imagine this day can’t be easy for her.
Read MoreYou’re Not Alone (V)
I’m not saying these are all about me. I’m just saying if you feel the same way, you’re not alone. You’re not alone if… 1. You don’t belong to a country club. Find a friend who does though! That way you get to have all the fancy fun with none of the demanding dues. 2. You can’t fold a…
Read MoreThe Lesser Tiger Mom
I won’t ever be able to write a song that disses my mom for popping vikes or bashes my dad for being absent because my parents weren’t like that. They showed up when it came to parenting– it didn’t matter what they were going through at the time, they showed up. And they were good…
Read MoreTeach Them Well
Thanks to everyone who participated in the DS&D Blog Contest. Below is the winning topic I chose to write about: How about pre-school kids getting kicked out because they are screaming, due to anxiety? What a horrible injustice it is to them. How they then feel that they can scream and get out of everything! How…
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