My oldest daughter is graduating from 8th grade in a couple weeks and moving into her high school years. I’m mentally prepared for her to go into high school, but what makes me nervous is that she is a mere four years away from college. Aside from the fact that I cannot fathom her leaving the nest in such a short time, contemplating the cost of college and the value it will provide her keeps me up at night. That is why I read with interest this morning, a piece from the WSJ’s Marketwatch by Brett Arends on the College-Industrial Complex. (more…)
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Colleen Brosnan
Dads Take on Labor Pain
I’m not talking about labor as in working, I’m talking about birth pain. Two dads who thought their wives were exaggerating about the pain of childbirth decided to try to experience contractions to prove to their wives that labor wasn’t as bad as they claimed. (more…)
Mommy Wars: Working vs Stay at Home Moms Part 400
This morning on my Facebook page, a dear friend posted a link of a letter a working mom wrote to her daughter (and to the world) in response to her daughter’s question: “do you love work more than you love my brother and me?” What a gut-wrenching question for a mom to answer. Of course, the mom answered that she loved her kids more than work, but her reasoning just adds some fuel to the working mom/stay at home mom battles.
Just so you know my bias: I am a mom that straddles the working mom/SAHM fence – I work part time, but I view my primary job as being a mother.
Trader Joe’s 5 Item Meals – Spaghetti Carbonara
Ok, I have to confess, there are actually six Trader Joe’s items in this meal, in addition to the pantry items. While my recipe doesn’t call for it, I threw in the pre-chopped up combination of onions, garlic and shallots. I thought the shallots would be such a nice flavor in this carbonara. I was right. This recipe initially intimidated me because of the raw eggs that are stirred into the pasta. However, after learning that the eggs cook if you stir them into piping hot pasta, fresh out of the boiling pot of water, I put away those salmonella fears.
Advice on Getting Through the Last Days and Weeks of Pregnancy
Our pal Spirit Fingers over at Crasstalk is on week 39 of her pregnancy. Like most expectant mothers at this stage, she is miserable. She is uncomfortable, anxious, excited and a whole host of other feelings. I’m sure many of us know exactly what she is going through right now. (more…)
Colcannon Soup with St. Patrick’s Day Leftovers
Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made from mashed potatoes and cabbage or kale. Considered a filling staple of Irish cuisine, it has loads of butter and cream. Definitely perfect for those damp, cold Spring days in Ireland but given the strange late winter and early spring we’ve experienced – it would be perfect here too! (more…)
Bonnie Franklin, of One Day at a Time, Has Died
The television sit-com, One Day at a Time, was rather ground-breaking back in the day. It was about a divorced mother raising her two daughters. While a comedy, the show tackled some very life issues such as finding who you are after a divorce, suicide, teen sexuality, infidelity and sexual harassment. The show began in 1975 and ran until 1984. Bonnie Franklin was the actress who played Ann Romano, the divorced mom of Julie (Mackenzie Phillips) and Barbara (Valerie Bertinelli). Franklin earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for her role. The show was written by Whitney Blake and Allan Manings and is loosely based on Blake’s own life as a single mother to Meredith Baxter.
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Recharging Your Batteries and Avoid Burnout
Someone very wise once told me, “you can do it all, you just cannot do it all at once.” Sadly, I have no recollection of who that person might be because I was in a whirlwind of activities and my memory of the two years after my third child was born are a blur. If memory serves, and it really doesn’t here, I think she was referring to the fact that we were moving from Bermuda to Connecticut one month after my son was born via c-section. I also, stupidly, took on a consulting assignment at that time. My husband was looking for a new job. Also, we had three children under the age of 3. We did not have a stick of furniture, except our beds, for over one month because it was all tied up in customs. My neighbors, when inquiring the other neighbors if they had met me, referred to me as “That poor women with three tiny children and no furniture.” (more…)
With Which Celebrity Do You Want to “Wife-Swap”?
Get your mind out of the gutter, I don’t mean key party despite the fact I live in Connecticut. I’m referring to the show Celebrity Wife Swap. Apparently Kate Gosselin, mother of eight children, and Kendra Wilkinson Baskett, former girlfriend to Hugh Hefner, swapped lives for a week and hijinks ensued. Yeah, I didn’t watch it either, but it did get me thinking.
It is easy for me to rattle off with whom I wouldn’t want to trade places: any Kardashian (too shallow), Britney Spears (too crazy), Sarah Jessica Parker (her husband strikes me as a weenie), Snooki (enough said), or Rachel Zoe (I don’t care about fashion). Picking who I would swap with is much harder. I’m thinking I wouldn’t mind swapping with Posh Spice – David Beckman is yummy and her boys look like fun. Also, once Princess Catherine pops the heir out, I think I wouldn’t mind being a princess for a week either.
Which celebrity would you trade places with and why? (more…)
The World Embraces Quirky Adults But Not Quirky Kids
Back when my kids were first diagnosed with autism, I read a fabulous book: Quirky Kids: Understanding and Helping Your Child Who Doesn’t Fit In- When to Worry and When Not to Worry
Today is National Margarita Day
After looking at my twitter feed today and seeing some pretty stressed out moms, I think this post is appropriate. So at 5-ish today, I’d like you all to get out your blenders and mix up some margies. I’ve got a couple tried and options below for you. When you run to the store for ingredients, don’t forget to pick up some tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole! (more…)
Should Children Call Adults by Their First Name?
The mother of my oldest and dearest friend, Jaime, wants me to call her by her first name. I cannot bring myself to call her Jule. She is and will always be called Mrs. Smith (not her real name). Despite the fact that I am rapidly approaching 46 years of age and Mrs. Smith is more my peer than my elder now, I cannot bring myself to drop the “Mrs.” – a word to me which acknowledges my respect for her. Perhaps this is why hearing children refer to adults by their first name has the same effect as nails on a chalkboard to me. (more…)
Where Are They Now? All the Living Children of Presidents
Twenty-seven children of presidents are currently living. These are their stories, from oldest to youngest.
At the ripe old age of 90, John Sheldon Doud Eisenhower is the oldest of the bunch. He is a retired Brigadier General with the US Army. He was also the Ambassador to Belgium under the Nixon Administration. Under the Ford administration, he was on the President’s Advisory Committee for Refugees. Eisenhower married Barbara Jean Thompson and divorced almost 30 years later. They had four children. He has remarried and resides in Trappe MD. He was a lifelong Republican until John Kerry was running for President against Bush. He became an Independent then. (more…)
I Drink to Help My Marriage
Crassparenting has just won a Top 25 Funny Mom Blog contest. In addition to the countless appeals here and on twitter from a variety of very funny moms, one thing struck me when looking over this talented bunch of women: this is a boozy crowd. I recommend you take a look at the blogs of these funny ladies and you will see what I am talking about: Cloudy, With a Chance of Wine, Moms who drink and swear, Toulouse and Tonic, Somewhat Sane Mom, I like Beer and Babies. (more…)
Don’t Be an Ash This Wednesday
My children and I have been watching the news about Pope Benedict and we’ve discussed the controversy around his history of covering up abuse of children. This has led to a discussion about the difference between the leadership of the Church versus the actual practicing of the religion. Much like Islam is a religion of peace and not terrorism despite some followers and leaders behaving otherwise, Roman Catholicism is not about pedophilia. This began a discussion about Ash Wednesday and Lent with the kids. They came up with some interesting questions about why we celebrate Lent the way we do and what’s up with those ashes. Thankfully, I taught Religious Ed for a couple years and I was ready with the answers.
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