Even though I swore, at some point during our days of early parenting, that I wouldn't be one of those parents who pulls out endless stories about "how it was in the old days" I continually find myself doing just that lately. I did it this weekend when, despite the glorious spring weather and the beckoning backyard, L. refused to get dressed and do anything outdoors.

"When I was your age I played outside ALL the time," I told him. "There was no computer, or Nintendo games, or even a room full of toys." [more]

It's my husband's birthday today, his FORTIETH. I turned forty six months ago--painfully, and with lots of foot-dragging. I've felt a little lonely about it, too, being the only one in our house who's that old. [more]

Not long ago, I was at Starbucks waiting for a friend. It was an unseasonably balmy day for February, so I was sitting outside, enjoying the sun and the warm breeze. A few minutes later two young college girls came and sat at the table next to me. They were both tall and thin, with those straight up and down, sinewy bodies that all those other clothes out there are made for--you know, those skinny jeans and tight layered shirts. I couldn't help eavesdrop a little on their conversation. They were talking in a gossipy way about a friend of theirs, who was having problems with her back. [more]

My husband got sick this week. Not have-to-stay-home sick, but that yucky-head-cold type of sick that makes you feel as if someone pumped your head full of lead.

My office mate was sick, too. Same type of thing. She got sick on Valentine's Day, yet found herself in her kitchen with a jacket on cooking up a meal for her family--not because they needed her to do it, but because she wanted to. I told her I was going home later that day to make some soup for Scott. [more]

My kids have entered into what can only be described as the tattle-tale stage. They love tattle-telling on each other, it seems, and will spend more time coming to find me in the house just so they can tell on their sibling than it would take for them to just try and work things out together.

They've mastered the tattle-tale voice, too--L. got it down first because, I discovered recently, he heard it on Phineas and Ferb. The voice goes like this: "MaaaaaMaaaaaa! L. poked me with his FINGeeeeeeer!" [more]