It’s Not Mother’s Day ‘Til Someone Says, “I Hate You, Mom!”

I don’t have many (high) expectations for Mother’s Day. As long as I can get a nap (the height of luxury) and, if possible, avoid cooking all day, then I can end the day relatively satisfied. Why is it, then, that I come to the end of most Mother’s Days feeling like a horrible, unappreciated [...]

Spring is in the Air…Shoes, Exercise, Puzzles, and More

spring-is-in-the-air

Spring is in the air and I’ve been busy this month, writing like crazy (yes, I have a life beyond this little blog!). Since I had so many articles published on other sites in April, I thought I’d post a short recap of each of my posts. PS – every time I get a new [...]

The Breakfast Project – Fueling Dancing Feet and Piano Fingers

the breakfast project

My family of seven goes through half a dozen gallons of milk each week. That’s a lot of bowls of cereal, smoothies, recipes, and afternoon or evening snacks. We could survive very long without milk (or should I say…we wouldn’t survive happily without milk). Between full bowls of cold cereal in the morning and tall [...]

3 Tips for Creating the Perfect Movie Night at Home

tips for creating the perfect movie night

For years, when we were in the middle of babies and diapers and not many funds left to pay a babysitter, date night meant movie night at home. Putting the kids to bed, popping some popcorn, and sitting down on the couch together to watch a movie was almost as rejuvenating as getting out of [...]

How to Turn Everyday Moments into Family Memories

how to Turn Everyday Moments into Family Memories

Today is a snow day. With all 5 kids and both parents home, you’d think that my house would be chaotic, but – incredibly – it’s fairly tame. Now, don’t ask me if my house is CLEAN. Tame, we can handle. Clean? Not so much. And how often does the cleanliness of the house factor [...]

10 Things Moms Should Never Feel Guilty About {Mom Guilt!}

5 things moms should never feel guilty about

Yesterday afternoon, my family dropped me off at the metro station near our house and I rode into DC for a 3-day Shot@Life Champions Summit. During the 10 minute drive to the metro station, we all listened to my youngest screaming, “Mom, you are NOT going anywhere!” “Mom, I don’t want you to go! Stay!” [...]

“Help My Child Choose a College!” – Noodle.org Education Tools

Noodle.org education tool for students

Next Saturday, I’ll be waking up early (not my favorite thing to do on a Saturday morning) to drive my oldest daughter to a high school 20 minutes away. I’ll wait around nervously as she takes the ACT for the first time. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that I was taking the ACT [...]

The One and Only Ivan – Announcing the 2013 Newbery Medal Winner!

My two youngest kids and I have been enjoying reading a book together called The One and Only Ivan, and were thrilled to find out that “Ivan” was crowned with the 2013 Newbery Medal. What is the Newbery Award? The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by [...]

Keep Kids Entertained With the #LEGOChannel

LEGO® YouTube home

Today we woke up to snow on the ground. The last few days have had a single-digit low (when KitKat left for school on Wednesday morning, Weather.com said it was 9° outside). That’s cold. And it means that we’re spending a lot more time indoors. I’m sure you can imagine what 7 people cooped up [...]

Childhood Depression – The Phrase No Parent Wants to Hear

childhood depression

When I became a parent, my greatest hope for my children was that they would live happy, fulfilling lives. I didn’t care how smart they would become or how rich and successful they would grow up to be. I just wanted my children to be happy. But as I gained a few years of parenting [...]