Biography
I am a freelance writer and mother of three boys. Unless you have three boys you can't imagine how oddly people react when they hear that. ...
We're Totally, Like, Going to the Mall After Algebra
May 13, 2013
It’s great that these Chinese students have time to enjoy “activities” while studying here in the United States. But I kind of expected that those activities would have been exercise or music or something more worthwhile than shopping.
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Happy Mother's Day to Me
May 10, 2013
It sure is swell when your kids come through on Mother’s Day: Breakfast in bed, gift cards for spa treatments, an empty dishwasher.
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Bacteria and the Binky
May 9, 2013
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Hanna, Age 12, Guest Blogger
April 29, 2013
Hello! My name is Hanna. I live in Farmington and go to school in West Hartford at a great school called Renbrook. I am twelve years old and in seventh grade. For this year, my father lives in Washington, D.C. and works for Senator Rockefeller when he was accepted as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy fellow. This past Thursday was Bring Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day in the Senate and I got to go! It was a big event with nearly one hundred people all directed into a small room with food and beverage. Kids ranged from about three to eighteen and the room was bustling with important people. Everyone seemed to be on there best behavior and I tried to do the same.
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Texting During the Breakfast Club
April 28, 2013
“If the Breakfast Club took place today, all those kids would just be silently texting about their shitty Saturday and never make friends with each other.”
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She Blinded Me with Science
April 23, 2013
My kids are total slackers. Check out this 11-year-old kid taking the world by storm.
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Is this Politically Correct?
April 21, 2013
Members of the middle dude’s lacrosse team received their new uniforms today. While the parents spent much of the first half of the game discussing whether they were politically correct, the kids loved them.
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The Great Puppy Rescue, Last Leg
April 18, 2013
Can you possibly forgive me for using the same post for both of my blogs today? How about if I tell you that all eight puppies decided to poop at the same time tonight at the Red Roof Inn in some town in either Virginia or West Virginia? Sue me. Fire me. I can take it.
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Enjoying the Ride
April 14, 2013
Today we watched Spring appear.
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The Great Puppy Rescue of 2013
April 11, 2013
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Boy Scout Survey Won't Mean Much if All Votes Aren't Counted
April 5, 2013
You may have heard about a survey the Boy Scouts of America recently announced. The results of the survey -- which asked questions including whether a lesbian should be able to lead a cub scout den -- were supposed to guide those in charge at the national level, when they decide next month if gay youth and leaders should be allowed to participate in the organization.
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Burger King's New "Healthy" Burgers
April 4, 2013
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What is a Reach School? What Am I Missing?
April 1, 2013
Am I missing something? Why is this blogger referring to a "reach school" as a school "I thought I could get into despite the competitive nature of its admissions process?" Hmm. He was "dumbfounded" and "bummed."
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Running, Walking, Ringing the Cowbell for Sandy Hook
March 28, 2013
Click right here to read tomorrow's column on the Sandy Hook 5K Run for the Families.
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Got A Minute?
March 21, 2013
Although it might make you cry a little, watch this minute-long video with your kids. It's worth it.
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Everyday's a Holiday Somewhere!
March 19, 2013
I really wish I had written this.
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Opening Minds, Changing Rules
March 18, 2013
Did you see this story in the New York Times this morning?
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Sharing is Good
March 16, 2013
Journalism professors of olden times (when I went to school) taught us about the inverted pyramid. News stories have all the important stuff up at the top, and should have the ability to be cut off anywhere at the end.
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Be All You Can Be: It'll Look Great on Your Transcript
March 10, 2013
It starts as competition among parents to have the kid who is the best at everything. Karate, Little League, soccer, violin.
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Don't Worry. Test Happy.
March 6, 2013
I’ve told my fifth grader every year since he was a third grader that he shouldn’t worry about the Connecticut Mastery Test. For some reason, however, he forgets each year and freaks out about his performance.
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Succeeding the Adderall Way
March 4, 2013
With final exams within sight, this excellent rollercoaster of a piece is a must-read for parents of overloaded kids.
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Twins and Multiples Day at CT Science Center
February 28, 2013
Twins, triplets and beyond get in free to the Connecticut Science Center this Sunday. Click right here for more information.
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Two Pop Tarts = 12 points
February 26, 2013
You’d think that living in a houseful of skinny boys would make it easy for a mom trying to fit into her jeans. They’re skinny, right? They must not eat a lot.
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Everybody Does It (at least once)
February 24, 2013
A decade or so ago I admitted to a friend that I'd left the kids in the car a few times, and I didn't think it was so bad. I'd done it in places where I could still see the car, which was locked: Dropping an older kid off at karate, for example, while the babies snoozed. My friend then told me she didn't feel comfortable leaving her baby in the car when she drove right up to the public library return slot, even though the front bumper of her car would be about five feet away.
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One Nation, Under Yoga
February 21, 2013
We've all got certain priorities for our kids, but in general, they have something to do with the well-being of your child. You want your child to be safe, nurtured, educated, loved, fed.
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The Never-Ending School Year
February 19, 2013
Because I don’t have a seat on our town’s Board of Education and I’ve never spent hours trying to decipher school budgets I feel kind of funny asking this, but …
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National Put Your Damn Socks Away Weekend
February 14, 2013
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The Next Generation of Coke-Heads
February 11, 2013
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A Better Epi-Pen?
February 5, 2013
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Adderall and the American Kid
February 3, 2013
It's easy to place blame on doctors and drug companies for tragic stories such as this one.
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Reader Email Day!
February 1, 2013
Oh, the emails I get on the days my column appears in print. Click right here to read it. This email is one of my favorites from today:
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You've Got Mail
January 29, 2013
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Cooking Dinner and Perhaps Even Enjoying It
January 22, 2013
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Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?
January 17, 2013
Although this piece in today’s Huffington Post is about how everybody blames teachers for everything that’s wrong with our schools, the part that lazy bloggers like me will highlight is the series of math problems at the bottom.
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Does Hand Sanitizer Work? How About Cherry ChapStick?
January 14, 2013
The only time I ever use hand sanitizer is when someone offers it to me and I feel funny saying that I hate the stuff and I don't think it works. I hate the way it feels on my skin, I hate the way it smells, and the only thing I want to do after using it is wash my hands. Like, with water. And soap.
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Food Allergies and Bullying
January 11, 2013
I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t worry about my food-allergic sons 100 percent of the time they’re away from me. Back when they were preschoolers, I worried that someone would offer them a cookie with walnuts and they wouldn’t know enough to say “no.”
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Ban Semi-Automatic Weapons. Find Another Hobby.
January 6, 2013
Two weeks after the Sandy Hook shooting -- just after I put my son on the school bus -- I read about this man who had made threats to his ex-girlfriend and her son, who most likely goes to school with my youngest son. The man, who is being held on a $2.5 million bond, texted a photo of himself holding, yes, a semi-automatic rifle. He wrote that he was going to go to her son's school, kill him, and "make Sandy Hook look like nothing." While police do not believe the weapon belongs to him, he certainly had access to it at some point.
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Shorts in January
January 2, 2013
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Yet Another Good Argument for Marriage Equality
December 29, 2012
Here's reason no. 72 everyone should be able to get married: It's good for you!
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A Parent's Lifelong Nightmare
December 28, 2012
Take a moment to read this piece by a parent who lost a child. May we all strive to be supportive when the time comes, and put caring ahead of discomfort.
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Say No to Snapchat
December 27, 2012
You know about Snapchat? Poke? That other one?
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You Are NOT Going Shopping Tomorrow
December 22, 2012
No, you don’t need to go to Target tomorrow.
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Here's to the Teachers
December 20, 2012
I’ve been thinking all week about how teachers of young children are keeping it together in the days following Friday’s school shooting. Yesterday, during my last author visit of the year, I got a little taste of what must be going on in the minds of these committed educators.
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The Best We Can Do
December 18, 2012
This morning my co-blogger Sarah Cody and I appeared on Fox 61 to discuss tips on talking to kids about the horrific tragedy in Newtown.
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It's Just Not Fair
December 17, 2012
Life goes on, and it’s just not fair.
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Images We Can't Escape
December 15, 2012
My mind drifts from one thing to another following the Newtown school shooting, but keeps coming back to the horrific image of parents being required to look at photographs of their beautiful, dead children in order to make a positive identification.
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Race to Nowhere on DVD!
December 12, 2012
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To Wii or Not to Wii
December 8, 2012
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We Don't Need More Stuff, So We Bought A Sheep
December 4, 2012
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Don't Forget to Breathe
December 2, 2012
Something’s up, I tell you.
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Look Out, Martha Stewart
December 1, 2012
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Sixteen Sweet Years
November 27, 2012
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Small Business Saturday
November 23, 2012
It’s bad enough that we’d already endured weeks of Christmas commercials before Thanksgiving Day, but this year’s ridiculous idea of having stores open on Thursday really bugged me. I heard a few shoppers on the news today saying that they had to go out and grab these deals because money is tight. Does anyone else see a flaw in this logic? Isn’t that kind of like the shopaholic who points out how much she “saved” by buying so much stuff? How about if you can’t afford to buy lots of stuff, then don’t buy lots of stuff?
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Off Target
November 18, 2012
Because I live in suburbia and it’s 2012, I enjoy a trip to Target probably more than I should.
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Every Kid's Role Model, 50 Cent
November 11, 2012
Until tonight, I had never listened to any of rapper 50 Cent’s music. I know, I’m not a very supportive neighbor. Otherwise known as Curtis James Jackson III, 50 Cent owns a gigantic house in our school district, and I’d never taken the time to get to know his work. (By the way, he never brought us brownies or otherwise welcomed us to the neighborhood when we moved in, so I guess we’re even.)
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No Whining Zone
November 8, 2012
As I grabbed my keys and ran out the door to drive my youngest dude to school today, there must have been a touch of irritation in my voice when I said “OK, let’s go.” (The bus driver decided to show up early, which we didn’t notice, and so we waited outside making snowballs for 15 minutes until we finally gave up and got in the car.)
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Run, Baby, Run
November 4, 2012
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The Candy Trading Floor
October 31, 2012
If you’re fortunate enough to live in a town that’s actually allowing residents to trick-or-treat tonight, your kids will likely take part in some sort of candy trading.
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The DuroMax 10000E has arrived.
October 29, 2012
While I am grateful to be the owner of a new generator that will enable our family of five to flush toilets in the coming days, there's a part of me that will miss the experience we had during last year's two power outages. I know. It's crazy.We were stinky and cold and tired from lugging buckets of water from the bathtub. We cleaned our hands with baby wipes or by rinsing them in the icy, dirty snow/water in the tub. This generator will certainly make us more comfortable and will allow our fish to keep swimming happily in their warm tank. We won't lose any frozen food, and we'll even be able to take hot showers (although not every boy in this house will actually do so.)But I will miss our friends' hospitality and warmth extended to us last year. We shared meals, showered, did laundry and charged cell phones. Now will we be sequestered, hunkered down on our own? I sure hope not. I hope that friends who were in our situation last year come hang out at our place and share our dim lights with us. The cookies are just out of the oven and there's enough wine to last us at least until tomorrow. Be safe, be generous and be grateful.
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The DuroMax 10000E has arrived.
October 29, 2012
While I am grateful to be the owner of a new generator that will enable our family of five to flush toilets in the coming days, there’s a part of me that will miss the experience we had during last year’s two power outages.
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My Love/Hate Relationship with the Boy Scouts
October 27, 2012
Here's next week's column. I'm ready for the haters.
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Not Embracing the Paperless World
October 24, 2012
For years I was one of those parents who complained about the ridiculous amount of paper being wasted on fliers sent home from school. I’d often receive three copies of the same announcement -- one in each child’s “Friday Folder.”
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OMG! Kids are like totally reading!
October 23, 2012
A report released today announced that -- despite our worst fears -- young people have not been sucked into the Facebook black hole. They're reading! Like, actual books!
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Re-gifting Swag
October 16, 2012
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Are you a Walmart Mom?
October 15, 2012
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Farewell, Jill
October 7, 2012
Dear Jill:
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Presidential Debate Bingo
October 3, 2012
It's time to pop the popcorn and gather 'round the TV. It's Presidential Debate Bingo!
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The Big, Fat E
September 30, 2012
I’m really not a fan of amusement parks, places that encourage families to spend money recklessly or port-o-potties. Or overpriced, greasy foods. Or germs.
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My Butternut Squash Soup Recipe. Really.
September 28, 2012
My Thursday Night Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
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Chore Plan, Part 2
September 25, 2012
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In Her Shoes
September 23, 2012
Sometimes it's easy to think of those accepting help from the government as one person: An unmotivated slacker with no plan other than to get away with it.
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The City's Ultimate Bad Call
September 19, 2012
A few times a week, The Husband steps away from his 12th floor office and plays Ultimate Frisbee in Bushnell Park. It’s hard to find a downside: He gets some serious exercise, he breathes actual fresh air, he has fun with a bunch of people he’d not normally meet, and he gives his mind a much-needed break from an otherwise stressful job.
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I Love You. Now Go Away
September 17, 2012
The season premiere of the one TV show that I watch was last Tuesday night. (Yes, it’s Parenthood. It’s great, isn’t it?)
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Coming in Second: A First World Problem
September 16, 2012
In our house, we've gotten into the habit of countering certain types of complaining and/or whining with “First world problem.”
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Product Review: The Candy Corn Oreo
September 11, 2012
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You Can Do it! (Maybe)
September 8, 2012
As parents, we’re supposed to encourage our children to follow their dreams, to try new things, to push themselves.
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Happy New Year!
September 4, 2012
For parents who have spent the summer with their kids, the first day of school is often more about new beginnings and resolutions than most associate with New Year’s Day.
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New Year = New Clothes?
August 27, 2012
Retailers are kind of freaking out right now because many young people are waiting to see what everybody else is wearing before they buy back-to-school clothes.
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It's in the Mail
August 23, 2012
Is there any piece of mail more anticipated by kids than the “Welcome to Team C” letter at the end of summer? Jeez, you’d think they were waiting for a letter from the Publisher’s Clearinghouse or at least a Little Orphan Annie decoder ring.
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Embracing the Muffin Top
August 20, 2012
As I mindlessly fed myself sea salt and vinegar potato chips yesterday, soaked from a 15-year old vs. 44-year old swimming race to the dock, I read this article about women’s obsession with losing their baby fat.
