One of my more vivid memories of grade school is watching a boy get paddled in front of the entire cafeteria. I can’t remember what he’d done but he’d certainly been in trouble a lot. In retrospect, I’m pretty sure he had Attention Deficit Disorder but in the late 70s, he was just considered a troublemaker. (more…)
Browsing Category
Essays
The Easter Watering Can
So, it’s Easter time again. And my understanding is that it isn’t just a time for a bell from Rome to bring chocolate eggs to a bunny in the United States who hangs out in malls and hides things that will go bad throughout the house and the yard causing children and pets to get sick. (more…)
How to Stick Up for Your Kids
As a parent of two young children, I’ve learned to stand up for my children. This has brought up lots of memories of times when my parents stood up for me as a child and even as an adult. They were just moments that reminded me that my parents are funny, great and badassed. (more…)
Are Stay-at-Home Parents Too Dumb for the Workforce?
Rosabeth Moss Kanter is a Harvard Business Professor, so yay for her. That is really a stunning accomplishment and she’s no small potatoes in the academic world. She wrote some stuff in a recent essay that I probably do not 100% understand because I don’t do much complex thinking, but here are some excerpts from a recent essay: (more…)
Alternative Uses for Breastmilk
I thought this was a crazypants thing that was just in this particular magazine that shall not be named (It was Mothering) but it turns out it was not. If you Google “alternative uses for breastmilk”, you will get all kinds of results. (more…)
An Open Letter to that Bigot Diana Medley
A school in Indiana is considering a petition lead by this nut job to setup segregated proms for gay kids. Story by Dan Savage. Diana’s email. provided by Dan in his column, is rejecting letters so I’d like to post my reply to her here. (more…)
Valentine’s Day: A Pesky Holiday
My husband and I do not give a hoot about Valentine’s Day. It’s not just because the restaurants suck almost as much as they do on Mother’s Day. It’s because it is really a kid’s holiday. This point has been driven home to me this weekend as I am preparing for hell week, otherwise known as “Valentine’s Day party at the kids’ school” week. (more…)
Build a Beary Bad Idea
Oh, Build A Bear. I don’t really have anything against you. Although I’ve never actually stepped into your store and I’ve only heard the rumors of your overpriced do-it-yourself animal pelts and cotton balls, there is nothing truly to dislike. You’ve obviously got a good thing going for ya. The animals are cute and the accessories are crazy, all that shit kids like. I was even gifted an build-a-bear elephant a looooong time ago from a college friend to commemorate this guy we both had a crush on. And that’s special.
But I’m not telling THAT story.
This is about your Valentine’s Day commercial. (more…)
Reparative Therapy Conversation AKA I Almost Stabbed Her With My Fork
Life’s funny isn’t it? I was sitting in a meeting last night and I realized that across the room from me was this chick I almost stabbed in the throat with a fork. No, she was never in any mortal peril for I have quite a bit of physical self control. What comes out of my mouth is another story. But the idea of opening her up a side mouth occurred to me later. What was it that could make me contemplate such an act? I’ll tell you – it was the suggestion of Reparative Therapy. Never a good dinner topic if you have me over. (more…)
Things You Should Never Say to a Handicapped Or Ill Mom
I have osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. I also ruptured a disk in my back. Since the birth of my first child, I have had both hips replaced and two other surgeries. At times I have been on crutches or have had to use a cane. Sometimes I am in extreme pain and can barely move. Other times I am much better. I used to be much healthier. Once upon a time, I was a runner and it never occurred to me to park in the closest space to the building. These days, I do the best I can with what is going on. (more…)
What’s Your Favorite Parenting Quote?
Here are some of my favorite quotes about parenting. Do you have favorite ones to add? Please add a comment! (more…)
The Gay Dad Project
This is part one in a two-part series by Erin Margolin from The Gay Dad Project. The project is currently raising funds for The Gay Dad Project Documentary. You can see a clip of the film and contribute on the site. They will be holding a twitterthon using the hashtag #gaydadfilm tonight, Monday, January 29th at 8pm EST and 5pm on the West Coast. Participants will be eligible for prizes!
Last year, I read one of Jared Karol’ posts where he talked about having a gay dad. I was blown away and figured it had to be a joke. I emailed him and before I knew it we were on the phone. Not long afterwards, Jared said he knew another girl, Amie, with a day dad. We became a trifecta, created The Gay Dad Project Blog, and started talking and Skyping regularly. (more…)
I Am Just Not Pinterested
Ah, Pinterest! It’s the place I can count on to make myself feel inferior about cooking, cleaning, organizing, decorating, and my own personal upkeep. They say the road is paved with good intentions, right? Wrong. Mine is paved with freezer meals that turned out barely edible and excuses for holding on to tin containers and old glass vases so I can conjure up something cute and craftsy with them. Don’t get me wrong; I want to love Pinterest but the fact is, I can’t. (more…)
How Will I Explain My Children’s Buckwild Roots to Them?
I’ve lived in Colorado for 15 years, but I was born and raised In West Virginia. I even went to college there (there are many good colleges in West Virginia). My kids have only been to West Virginia a couple of times when they were tiny. After my mom passed, we didn’t go on the regularly scheduled visits anymore. (more…)
Did You Have a Friend Your Parents Hated?
I had a friend my mom couldn’t stand. In retrospect, I suppose my mom had a point. I’ll call her “Melissa”. I knew her the summer after 9th grade. She was a bit wild, had tried out things that hadn’t occurred to me, and was wildly unsupervised. Her mom was either working or on a date. She often spent most of the night alone. (more…)
