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| September 2010 Parting Glance: Face-to-Facebook |
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| First it was AOL Instant Messenger. Then text messages. Now Facebook pages. Who knows what will be next! But they all had one thing in common: my daughter could not live without them, and I did not understand why.... more |
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| plain jane: I HATE KINDERGARTEN! |
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| Being a stay-at-home mom, it was hard enough when my firstborn went off to kindergarten. But now, they insist it’s time for my youngest to go. My precious pumpkin. My little man. What kind of baby-stealing racket is this? ... more |
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| plain jane: It's a Miracle! |
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| I once thought near death experiences were reserved for zookeepers and adrenaline junkies. Boy was I wrong. Turns out, bargain hunting out of shape, stay-at-home moms are equally at risk. My brush with the grim reaper happened this summer.... more |
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| Boys Will be Boys |
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| When my second son was born, three days past his due date on a cold February afternoon, I thought I knew exactly what to expect. After all, I knew what boys were like, because I already had one son. I took one look at my new little bundle and all my presumptions were affirmed. He was the spitting image of his big brother, Joshua. It was like de’ja vu.
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| Parting Glance May 2010: Just Like You, Mommy |
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| My daughter stands in the doorway between the living room and kitchen and calls out, “I’m cooking, too. I have my own kitchen, just like your kitchen.” She goes to play and returns to proclaim, “I’m making pizza, just like you.” These days everything is “just like you” and Sophia’s highest aspiration is to be a mommy.... more |
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| Plain Jane: How to Make Mom-Friends: The Secrets Revealed |
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| Why is it so hard to make friends with other mothers? I couldn’t figure it out. So I decided to do some research. For the last year, I have made it my personal mission to make mom-friends. In hindsight, I should have focused on something easier… like finding proof that Unicorns exist. But I held tough and uncovered a few surprising secrets about befriending child-bearers. Here’s what no one will tell you:... more |
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| OH1 NO1! |
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| I was a day away from embracing a carton of Puffs Plus and sipping Nyquiltinis. My hair was soon to be in a scrunchy, PJs and slippers would be my uniform and I would be ugly ill. I tried to stay positive in a tsunami of denial and false hope, but I knew if I DID get the flu, the entire infrastructure of my family’s life would implode in a groaning WHOMP!... more |
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| Parting Glance: Holding On |
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| In the mess and confusion of parenting, we sometimes forget the good times and amazing moments that are over way too soon.... more |
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| plain jane: Deck the Halls.... |
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| We all have THAT neighbor. The one who bedazzles their home, inside and out, with so many holiday adornments that Santa himself would blush. That house down the street that glows with electric yuletide ecstasy, banishing the darkness for two entire city blocks. Some do it tastefully, others miss the mark. Thankfully, my neighbors have great taste. They also have the stamina of flying reindeer.... more |
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| Does Calgon Still Take People Away |
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| Between my kids’ cheerleading, soccer and play practice, Survivor seems like a show for sissies. Eating tree bark might be a walk in the park compared to my day-to-day routine.... more |
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| My Toddler is Glued to the TV! |
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| A year or so ago, if I turned off the TV, my son didn’t really care; he would just do something else like stacking blocks, coloring or putting together a puzzle. These days, if I turn off the Sprout channel, a fit will follow.... more |
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| Battling Breast Cancer |
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| When the diagnosis of breast cancer falls in your lap, you find that it adds many new dimensions to your life.... more |
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| Turn Around: And You're a Grandparent |
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| There is a song that echoes through my head every so often, usually whenever I see my children interact with their children – my grandchildren. Part of the lyrics goes as follows: “Turn around and you’re tiny. Turn around and you’re grown. Turn around and you’re a young wife with babes of your own.” I remember Harry Belafonte singing it best, but I’m sure there have been many others who’ve added their voices to this sentiment. It’s like an unofficial anthem for grandparents. And being a grandparent now, I am in the enviable position of being able to enjoy my grandchildren without the pressure of having to raise them. ... more |
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| Fighting For Life |
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| I am just finishing up our nightly bath routine with my three children. My oldest son is last in line, and I am thankful. I like to linger a bit with him. We tackle those dirty feet that never seem to come completely clean no matter how hard we scrub, or how much soap is used.
As he relaxes in the water, almost completely submerged, my attention is drawn away from his feet to his entire body. It’s become almost unrecognizable to me. I stare at the 6-inch vertical scar on the back of his head — our constant reminder of the golf ball-sized tumor removed from his brain. I focus next on his completely bald head, the effects of radiation treatment used to destroy any cancer cells that remain. I then look at the large incision site above his right forehead. The remnants of his second brain surgery to implant a shunt is still healing.... more |
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| June 2009 Parting Glance: Swiss Mess |
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| As if encouraging my kids to eat the food I serve them isn’t hard enough, I was trying to make my wife’s birthday dinner of cheese fondue with cut up French bread, broccoli and granny smith apples while taking care of the kids.... more |
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| What?! You Think We Have a Maid! |
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| How can you be a mother and not nag? I do know that I would never have made my bed if my allowance wasn’t riding on it. And I wouldn’t have taken a bath unless threats were made. But somehow I grew up into a relatively clean, responsible adult who makes her bed every morning.
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| Morning Ritual |
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| Do you suffer through the same weekday morning ritual over and over again? Do you find yourself wondering why you didn’t iron the clothes, check the book bags, pack the lunches, sign the permission slips and find the shoes the night before? Join the club. ... more |
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