Grasshopper New Media Presents...

Today I was at my local farm stand, picking up my share of veggies from the Community Supported Agriculture farm.  And I was surprised to run into my son’s old swimming instructor, who I loved but haven’t seen for several years.  The first thing beyond saying hi was to talk to me about an article […]

Last week I talked about summer reading. Yesterday we ventured back to our local library. I was on a quest to find some books to read with my almost first-grader that wouldn’t bore me to tears and that he would enjoy reading as well.
I am just so angry I could spit. Pffft. […]

It was very late at night. My flight home from Philadelphia had been delayed by over two hours. I was exhausted. I opened the door to what I had feared I would find.
A mess.
I’d been away for the weekend, and I’d suspected that I might have to pay for it when I […]

I have no idea what was so important that time I got upset with Andrew. Or that time. Or that time I scolded Hope. Or that time. The time I hollered? No clue what it was that seemed to be worth yelling.
In fact, I don’t remember all the times I yelled.
And I have had moments […]

I once had a student turn in an essay that I could tell wasn’t his.  I brought formal plagiarism charges against him, but they were dropped… because his mother wrote a note.
The entire incident was frustrating, but I also had a sense that it was very, very sad.  Here was a young man, away from […]

There are times in your life you just have to get through, day by day, and you know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. This summer is one of those times for me, knowing Kindergarten is around the corner. I work from home as a freelance photo editor so that I can […]

I rehearse situations in advance with my kids.  Does that qualify me as a little batty?
Never mind.  Don’t answer that.
Okay.  So here’s what I do.  Any time I notice that there’s an opportunity for the boys to make a bad decision, I outline briefly what the situation will be and ask them if it would […]

When my daughter was six, if she saw a bug in the house, especially a spider, she’d freak out. She’d have a typical melt-down: uncontrollable crying, tap-dancing, arm-flailing, like a surrealisticly tortured vaudeville act.
Well, she was six, so ok, I get it. If I was home and this happened, I would run and get my […]

Today I attended my usual spinning class. As we were warming up, the spinning instructor asked a husband and wife couple how their triathlon had gone this past weekend. The couple looked at each other and laughed.
Let me just pause to give a little background on this couple. In addition to coming […]

It is fascinating to watch two children of the same age and that are exposed to the same home environment develop into two distinct little individuals. Every now and then someone will say “Don’t compare them.” While I agree that it is not good to compare one child to the other, I think it is […]