by Sherida Mock This month, we put the spotlight on Brandon Medina, who graced the cover of our September 2005 issue. Turns out, Medina has never put down the soccer ball. He is one semester away from a bachelor’s degree in sports science and athletic training, and...

Our local school districts are ramping up for kindergarten registration, and many parents will be deciding whether or not their child is ready for kindergarten. Some will choose to keep their child in preschool for another year, even though they are technically old...

When most people think about the benefits of sleep-away camp, they think of fun and friends—and with good reason. Where else can a child ride a horse, create a ceramics masterpiece and water ski, all in the same day? Camp is also a friend-making machine. My mother...

Every February 14, thousands of students celebrate Valentine’s Day with a classroom party. They exchange Valentine’s cards, make a craft and play a few games. As a Room Mom, you might find it hard to come up with ideas that the kids have not seen before. If you are...

by Sherida Mock   Joanne Blackerby started working in the fitness industry as an aerobics instructor to pick up a little extra spending money for college. That passion stayed with her over the years, as she undertook jobs, pursued a graduate degree in social work...

At least one study has shown that financial worries beat out to-do lists and work stress as reasons for losing sleep, but there’s one sure way to avoid sleepless nights: keeping enough money in the bank to cover not only your bills, but also emergencies that might...

It’s the time of year when much ado is made of resolutions, and your son or daughter might be excited to make a one now. But sticking with resolutions can be difficult for many young people. Where do they start? How do they set a measurable, realistic goal? Can they...

By Sherida Mock On stage, Aara Krumpe dazzles in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in Ballet Austin’s The Nutcracker. In fact, during this native Texan’s 15 years with the company, she has danced numerous roles—Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, the Fairy Godmother in...

It seems like everywhere we look, we see or hear a headline story about Ebola. Fears about it have spread throughout the U.S. In fact, anxiety over Ebola is much more contagious than the disease itself. Why is there such a widespread fear about Ebola, and what can we...

There was a time when most people didn’t give a second thought to where their morning coffee originated. They didn’t wonder who tended the plants, how much that person was paid or if they worked under fair conditions. They happily sipped, unaware of the working...

 The adoption process is often compared to a roller coaster. Many prospective adoptive families spend months or even years completing paperwork and waiting for placement of a child, and some encounter significant setbacks along the way. The journey that ultimately led...

The Biscuit Brothers reflect on a decade of bringing families together through music  by Sherida Mock Depending on when you start counting, the Biscuit Brothers—popular live musicians and stars of the PBS children’s show—are either on the cusp of celebrating their...