Giving New Meaning to Parenting

I had a wonderful Great Aunt who had the cutest sayings. I attended college near her home, so I spent weekends here and there visiting her. She was in her late 80’s at the time so the visits usually consisted of eating meals, watching television, and just keeping up with the dishes. [...]

I just came home from a conference this past weekend and as usual am charged up about some of the things I learned. The conference actually had nothing to do with parenting, but one of the speakers was a motivation guy and shared with us a new book he’s come out with. He [...]

Happy New Year, everyone! Hard to believe that we’re already 4 days into 2010 but there you have it. Calendars won’t be denied.
I don’t know about you, but a particular quirk (curse?) of mine is constant analysis/evaluation of life, particularly how well I’m doing at any given activity. Stress has [...]

One of the toughest things for me as an adult has been to set boundaries.  Whether it’s preserving some sense of privacy  (Yes, I am finally allowed to take a bath without a parade of children coming through…) or setting boundaries and rules for the kids, or even with friends, deciding when something is a-okay [...]

Do you ever feel powerless?  What can you do to change that?
Sometimes it means saying no.  Sometimes it means walking away.  Sometimes it means not engaging in a conflict.  Sometimes it means recognizing when you are getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop and deciding you are tired of that as well.
I had a fight [...]

I’m running late today, and that’s okay with me. After a week that was, well let’s just say unpleasant, I think it’s safe to say that we’re having a recovery period. Stress levels for the adults have been through the roof and unfortunately that translated to being too busy and too short with [...]

Next to my computer in my office is a stack of quotes that I have been accumulating over the years. This week I was encouraged by my business coach to create a list all of my activities, both personal and professional, in order to determine what my perfect work/life balance should look. As I’ve been [...]

There is a hymn I’ve loved since I was a child. I first remember the folk choir singing it from the balcony of our small church in small town Connecticut. Over the years I have heard many people sing many versions of this song, but the lyrics remain the same:
Let peace begin with [...]

The school year’s almost over. Teacher gifts are ordered, homework is done. I’m counting the remaining days (3.5 after today) until we can slow down. I’m dreaming of the beach and the lake and long days building forts in the woods.
However, the hectic pace and whirlwind schedules are never too full for [...]

When my husband and I were heading out the door for our 10th Wedding Anniversary trip my daughter Pack Rat asked how come we were going without her and her sister. The only response I could come up with is, “Mommy and Daddy need some time to spend alone. We have been married for 10 [...]