Search Results for: blog theres a lesson in here somewhere

Santa Threat Worked Like a Charm

I’d brag more if I didn’t feel so darn guilty about it all. Okay, the guilt is not that overwhelming, but it’s enough to make my confession list. So, Santa made it to our home in the wee hours of Christmas morning. He came, he unloaded, his reindeer left carrot crumbs on the kitchen floor, and now he’s gone for another three-hundred-sixty-something days. Now how am I going to keep my kindergartener in line? For six solid weeks I relied on the big guy’s impending visit to encourage my young daughter to be on her best behavior. “Santa’s watching,” I’d … Continue reading →

Zhu Zhu Mania!

I don’t drink, but I now see why other parents do. I seriously considered knocking back a few stiff libations after spending countless hours (see: THREE SOLID WEEKS) trying to get my hands on a Zhu Zhu Pet. A Zhu who? If you have a young child at home, then I don’t have to explain, but for the rest of you moms and dads, who haven’t been sucked into Zhu Zhu hell, allow me to elaborate. Zhu Zhu Pets are the hottest toys since Tickle Me Elmo, Cabbage Patch Kids, the Tamagotchi “digital pet,” Furby, and every other must-have plastic … Continue reading →

Do Your Kids Freak Out When They See Someone In a Wheelchair?

Here’s proof that every gray cloud has a silver lining: When my beloved (dearly, dearly beloved) grandmother suffered a series of strokes a couple of years ago our entire family was devastated. The woman who had loved us unconditionally all of our lives was suddenly stripped of her dignity. She could no longer walk, talk or move around without the aid of another human being or electronic apparatus. It tore my heart out to see my energetic grandmother confined to a wheelchair, eating pulverized food from a baby spoon, barely able to keep her head upright. Fortunately, with the help … Continue reading →

What Do You Do When Your Child is Obsessed With Animals?

My preschool daughter is obsessed with dogs. Fortunately, she hasn’t taken to eating off the floor on all fours, but I know the thought has crossed her mind. My daughter has big plans to own a real dog one day, but for now she has to settle for being the “mother” of 34 stuffed ones. Yes, 34. No, I’m not proud of that number. And, no, I am not her enabler. That’s my mom’s role. Despite the obnoxious amount of furry four legged friends that take up residence in our home, I’d gladly take them and all of their shagginess … Continue reading →

Toy Invasion

Is there a room in your house that doesn’t have a single toy in it? Yesterday I realized that the only place in our home that has not been infiltrated by my preschooler’s toys is the laundry room. And that room only qualifies as the “winner” if I don’t count the tiny pile of plastic animals I extracted from my daughter’s pockets the other day. The jungle creatures have temporarily set up residence on top of the dryer. The rest of our abode looks like the inside of a daycare facility. There are piles of plastic dinosaurs in the hallway, … Continue reading →

How Far Would You Go to Become a Grandparent?

Marissa Evans always dreamed of being a grandmother to her son’s children. Unfortunately, her 20-year-old son’s life came to an abrupt end a few weeks ago when several men assaulted him. According to police reports, Nikolas Colton Evans and his friend were approached by a group of men as they exited a bar in Austin, Texas around 2 a.m. on March 27th. Police say one of the men punched Evans, causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground. Evans was transported to a local hospital where he eventually died a few days later. But this sad story … Continue reading →

Living Near Your Parents—Good or Bad?

Isn’t ironic that as teenagers all we wanted to do was to get as far away from our parents as possible, but as soon as we settle down and have a family all of a sudden we wish they lived closer? It might not be true in all cases, but a new survey shows that a majority of Americans age 30 to 45 with children desire to live closer to their parents or other family members. My family lives 5000 miles away and my 4-year-old begs me to get us on “the big plane to Hawaii” every single day. Needless … Continue reading →

Can You Ever Go Home Again?

I just spent the entire month of January in Hawaii… visiting my parents. It was actually a wonderful visit and given how much we doled out for the plane tickets and how infrequently my daughter gets to see my family, I did everything humanly possible to make the most of every second we had together. That includes helping care for my 93-year-old dying grandma and hosting a bevy of extended family members, who came to catch up and spoil my daughter to no end. The visit (I don’t refer to it as a vacation because in more ways it was … Continue reading →

Mother of Octuplets Raises Questions About Parental Responsibility

Will it be Oprah, Diane Sawyer, or Barbara Walters? According to news reports, Nadya Suleman, the California woman who gave birth to eight babies last week, is currently deciding which big name TV interviewer she’ll sit down and chat with. Meanwhile, another report claims that the 33-year-old single mother of 14 is seeking $2 million from commercial sponsorship (she reportedly wants to hook up with Pampers) and other media interviews to help defray the cost of raising her eight babies and the other six children (all under the age of eight) that she already has. No doubt Nadya is going … Continue reading →

Becoming the Mom You Never Thought You’d Be

Attention Girl Scout cookie lovers: FYI–The Girl Scouts have issued a statement saying that their cookies are not affected by the current peanut butter warning. I just got the “breaking news” from my Girl Scout mommy pal Brenda. Here’s the irony: Unlike in years past when we would be reporting this type of news at the local TV station we worked at together, we now get it from our kids. Or at least she does. Yes, my once ultra-career oriented pal is now a stay-at-home mom to a Girl Scout Brownie. What’s more, she’s driving the minivan she swore she … Continue reading →