Today I was saddened to hear about the suicide of 10 year old Illinios resident Ashlynn Conner. She was an honor student who hung herself in a home closet and was found by one of her siblings. All because of bullying. She told her mom that she was being bullied – and had told her [...]
The first time it happened, we didn’t even know we’d been boo-ed. We opened our front door to find an orange, plastic pumpkin with treats and a poem. The second time it happened, the doorbell rang. By the time we opened the front door, the goblins were gone. The treats spilling out of orange, plastic [...]
My hands smell faintly of garlic and cinnamon as I wrap a fresh Band-Aid around the cut on my finger, the result of over-zealous vegetable chopping and poor timing. A small price to pay for a day spent with my beautiful daughter. The times that I get to spend with my now adult children are [...]
One of my favorite parts of being a parent is introducing my children to the books and movies that I loved as a kid. Now that my daughter, Zuzu, is almost 8, she is ready for some of the longer children’s books that I remember so fondly from my elementary school days. She and I just finished reading [...]
I have written before about my love for the CSO’s Kraft Family Matinee series. This series of several, hour-long Saturday afternoon concerts is a wonderful way to introduce elementary-school aged children to the beauty of classical music. Each concert features selections from works by great composers — organized around a theme, such as water or city versus [...]
I love bunnies. At this late point in my life, I have either forgotten or misplaced in my brain, why the Easter Bunny has its place during our Easter Celebrations. I recall that they are cute, a representation of life’s renewal process, fresh starts, and, well, bunnies hop – maybe somehow relating to how we [...]
We attended our first “Family New Year’s Eve Party” this year. I was hesitant in the beginning. Our friend, a home brewer, was really excited about the family-friendly party Revolution Brewing Company planned and asked us to join them. Sure, it sounded fun, but I’ve become wary of parties at restaurants and bars. All too [...]
My daughter was ushered into a sorority yesterday: the sisterhood of the pierced ear. As I explained in a post written last September, I had originally told Zuzu that she had to be eleven — the age I was — to get her ears pierced. But after seeing how much Zuzu wanted pierced ears, and how [...]
At this time of year, there is a lot of discussion in the media about what I call the Christmas culture wars. In a multi-ethnic society like ours, where not everyone is Christian, how prevalent should Christmas merriment be? Some people worry about political correctness and eschew Christmas greetings in favor of a more neutral “Happy Holidays” or [...]
Last Wednesday evening, the smells of Hanukkah permeated my home. I inhaled the aroma of latkes, burning candles, and chocolate gelt. My two boys, who have been counting down the days until Hanukkah since Halloween, beamed with delight and asked if they could each light their own menorahs. My mind flashed back to my childhood [...]
When my two year old son wakes up in the morning the first thing he wants is a cup of milk and an open-faced peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Some days it’s more out of habit than hunger. Half of it often goes uneaten or gets swiped by our dog, but we always make it. [...]
My father is in the hospital. For more than a week now we’ve been on a roller coaster of days that often start with the phrase “Are you kidding me?” We also seem to say, “How did that happen?” a lot these days. There’s no end in sight right now. Even with this all swirling [...]
Enter your email address below to receive updates each time we publish new content.
Recent Comments