Family
To Get Up or to Zzzzzzzz
Monkey started 7th grade this year. I hear him moving around starting at 6:20 AM, and I stick my pillow over my head. Unlike my parents who stayed in bed, confident in my organizational abilities — or never really ever considered whether I had everything I needed or not — I feel totally guilty for staying in bed. …
The Power of a Swift Kick #twits
I took my daughter to school one morning last spring. Like most middle school girls, she’s convinced my mission in life is to embarrass her, and I take my work seriously. It’s not enough that I walked through the school doors pronouncing that Miley Cyrus looks like a two-bit hooker on Discount Day in one of her videos. No. I even talked to my daughter’s classmates. . . ….
What to Do If Your Kid Says "I'm Bored"
It only takes once. If your child says, “I’m bored,” this summer, here’s what you do. First get all excited. Then, in the most madly excited voice you can muster say, “You are! Because I have the best thing for you to do, and I was just waiting for you to say you wanted to do something new!” …
Dirty Movies For Tweens
It’s summer. We’ve had a lot of 11 to 12-year-old boys hanging around the house. When it’s raining, they become basement dwellers playing ping-pong or Legos and K’Nex or Wii. I hear their mutterings. The other night one of Monkey’s friends was over. Let’s call him Steve-o. And Steve-o’s going on about movies he’s recently seen. He announces that he’s just seen Dude, Where’s My Car? …
I'm in Manitoba Visiting Ironic Mom, Eh!
I’m posting from Canada today. Seriously. I’m coming to you from Manitoba, eh. Seriously, I’m hanging out with Ironic Mom. Kind of. In a cyber-way. But I won her contest so I get to post on her blog. So hooray for hockey and Queen Elizabeth, beavers and Biebers, maple leaves and Mounties. …
On Selective Remembering
I love that my son is growing older, growing into the person he will one day become more fully. But there are some things I miss: like our Vulcan mind-meld moments….
A Commencement Speech by Alec Jacobson
Recently, my super cool, crazy smart nephew was selected by his peers to deliver the commencement speech at his high school graduation which took place this past Sunday, June 25, 2011….
Lessons From Eight Junes
June is definitely a time for endings and beginnings. Proms. Graduations. Weddings. New jobs. It got me thinking about all the Junes in my life. My parents started their married life together on June 23, 1963. My son will become a bar-mitzvah next June. One of my grandmothers died in June. And one of my friends, too. I tried to think about some significant Junes in my life, and this is what was born….
In Praise of the Pencil
A few weeks back, Monkey came home in a tizzy. “I’m out of pencils again,” he announced. Nonplussed, I told him there were under three weeks of school left and that I was pretty sure he could make-do with his nubs until June 20. He started at me with contempt. “Are you serious?” he questioned. “I have exams! I need pencils! Ticonderogas. Now!”…
Lessons From Splinters
The last time I had a splinter I was a pre-teen. Yes, I have managed to remain splinter free for nearly 30 years. Until this Monday night….