Have you ever been hurt by a friend or loved one’s words or deeds? Someone close to you behaves inexplicitly badly leaving you scratching your head and rubbing your heart? The holidays are tough and ripe for opportunities to be unkind to those who deserve better. Dysfunctional relationships are so common, they have become clichéd. Yet when [...]
The first night of Hanukah was last night. Our family tradition (which I followed strictly as a Jewish child growing up in the suburbs and dutifully passed onto my boys) is to light the candles after dinner and then run, screaming in anticipation to the family room sofa, where you sit very close together with [...]
Last week as the boys were headed off to school I was pleased to see that Chase chose to wear a white undershirt beneath his long sleeved tee. I didn’t share with him my satisfaction that he had finally learned that in cold weather you dress appropriately. That would have unraveled it all. But I [...]
There comes a time in every Jewish parent’s life when your children ask you if they can become Christian. Just this once? Pleeeeeeeeeease? I had this conversation with Noah over the weekend. Noah: Mom, do you think one year we could do the whole Christmas thing? Me: Do you mean like doing the Jesus thing? [...]
Yesterday I had an essay published on Babble.com about how I find myself overindulging the brothers – and how I worry that I am raising “mama’s boys”. It appeared under their regular Thursday feature called “Bad Parent”. I love “Bad Parent” because it focuses squarely on the fact that none of us really know whether [...]
‘Tis the season to wrack my brains for holiday gifts ideas. When it comes to giving that perfect something to that perfect someone, I am neither creative nor crafty which makes me feel rather inferior to the bakers, scrapbookers, knitters, basket weavers and photogs. A fair warning to my future friends and loved ones: You [...]
Today my Chasey turns 9 years old. Last evening, we outsourced his birthday party as we have done with both of the brothers since they were born. After all, their original birthdays didn’t happen at home due to the danger and mess involved. The same holds true today. Consider the following theorem we have derived [...]
Some MoB readers may perhaps be wondering how I did on my self-imposed “40 til 40″ fitness challenge which officially ended November 23. For those recently joining, I committed exactly 40 days before my 40th birthday to get off my a#@ and in some sort of shape. Cut to the chase: I lost about 8 [...]
Last evening, I was finishing up my work when I got an email from an editor at iParenting.com who I had written some pieces for in the last year. iParenting is a very informative parenting (duh) site, recently bought by Disney. This editor has responsibility for the pregnancy, baby and toddler channels which often compel [...]
Greetings from the intrepid travelers! Every few months, we pack up the mini-van and head up to Rhode Island to visit Dave’s family for a few days. And after hosting Thanksgiving in our home for the last several years, it was our turn to make the road trip this year. The drive, which can [...]
