There are moments early in your child’s life that will define your family — forever. Like the time I discovered the sinister genius of children’s toy manufacturers. It started innocently enough. Our oldest had reached an age where he was remembering what he saw...
As a child, my holidays were a red and green blur of pure, unadulterated joy. As a young adult, I spent my holidays fielding questions about hairstyles and love interests. As a married adult, the holidays meant declaring a side of the family to spend Christmas Day...
“Do you feel different this time?” That’s the question I get most often from well-meaning strangers, as they steal a less-than-subtle glance at my baby bump, which is definitely NOT a baby bump. It’s just the result of gas and too many chips. What a loaded...
That really old black-and-white horror film “The Invisible Man” has been on my mind lately. You see, my family and I recently embarked on a quick weekend trip. You know, to “get away from it all” and “relax.” And like most endeavors that involve taking toddlers out of...
The swim diaper seems like an ingenious invention for the modern parent. But is it? Let’s think about this. A swim diaper doesn’t absorb liquids like a regular diaper, which in water would swell to the size of a watermelon. Its purpose is to contain poop. It’s a poop...
The transition from babyhood to toddlerdom is a bit like watching someone experience spiritual possession. The pea-soup-spewing kind of possession, where everyone who survives an encounter with the individual feels both relieved and horrified. What happened to...
I don’t believe it’s possible to truly judge a person’s character until you have seen them play a video game. Particularly, until you see them play against family members. It’s a good way to test your own moral fiber. If you’re relatively comfortable playing...
I may still be considered a “young” mom (beginning to hear teenagers call me “ma’am”), but I’m old enough to remember a time before technology solved everything. In swampy Texas summers, all we had to keep mosquitos away was cancer spray or weak candles that smelled...
Every bed in my house wears a mattress pad. This protective layer is the only line of defense against bodily fluids destroying an overpriced mattress. They’re indispensable — the greatest invention of the modern world, right behind Spanx. All this is to say, I...
“Your kids never get sick – you’re so lucky!” I hate to brag, but I’ve heard this from more than one friend. And it’s true. My kids are incredibly healthy (knock on proverbial wood). For families in search of the key to wellness, let me tell you how we keep our...
Before becoming a parent, I was one of those people who arrived just on time for events and appointments. If I was five minutes early, there were celebrations to be had. Now that I am a parent of two…if I am five minutes early, it’s because I forgot one of the kids at...
I don’t know about you, but dinnertime at my house is the absolute best. I never have to beg, plead or coerce my kids and husband to come to the table and eat every bite of the nutritious, organic, GMO– and steroid–free meal I’ve prepared. I cherish the uninterrupted...
