kids

Karate Kid

2.25.11

Today my girl tested out of the beginners class and now has her white belt in Tae Kwon Do. I love watching her strength and focus. She makes me so proud.

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I’d like our after-dinner time to be a scene out a 50′s sitcom, where we all talk and laugh and play together. I realize that’s not going to happen, but I’m sure we can make it better than it is now. What’s your advice? What’s your family-time routine?

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The First Fondant

8.2.10

My son loves to decorate cakes. He DVRs “Cake Boss.” We’ve been experimenting with all kinds of icing techniques and tonight he ventured into fondant. I’ve never used fondant, so this was my first try at it also. I’m not a fan of the taste, but it’s pretty awesome for decorating. It’s basically play-doh made of sugar, so you can roll it out and cover your cake or cut it into shapes or mold it into whatever you want.

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Christmas In July… And Every Other Month

7.15.10

My daughter is obsessed with Santa. And not in the “I can’t wait for Santa to come!” sense, but in the “Do you believe in Santa?” sense. She asks almost everyone she meets if they believe. It’s basically her second question after “What’s your name?”

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My #1 Parenting Tip: Shut Up!

1.16.10

Yelling has never gotten me anywhere in my parenting. Talking to my kids, reasoning (don’t you see that this behavior only gets you in trouble?), and negotiating has not solved one problem. Ever. What has gotten results?

Shutting the hell up.

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December 2009 Can Suck It

12.31.09

I am so happy to be saying goodbye to December tonight. Here’s to a MUCH better January and joyous 2010!

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Eleven Things I Love About You

11.26.09

Eleven years ago today, as my family sat waiting at the Thanksgiving dinner table, I was giving birth to my son. I couldn’t have been happier or more thankful.

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Today I am 40

3.13.09

It’s my 40th birthday (as if I haven’t talked enough about that on this blog) and I feel fantastic.

Taking a look over my 40 years of life, I feel so amazingly lucky. I grew up in a good family, never wanted for anything, and never had anything horribly tragic happen. I married a wonderful man and we live happily in a beautiful home with our two awesome children. I’ve never been seriously injured or ill. Except for bouts of depression (that are well-managed with medication, exercise and “me time”), I have a fairy tale life. I am happy.

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Homeschool Science: Capillary Action in Plants

2.25.09

My son is studying biology this session in his homeschool co-op science class. I’m really not a science person and particularly not a biology person. Hated it in high school and had to take it twice to pass in college. Luckily, my husband loves science and has this baffling ability to remember everything he learned [...]

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Our Kids Are So Seriously Clones Of Us

1.30.09

I had a parent-teacher conference today at the girl’s preschool. Summary: She’s doing great socially, needs a little work on fine motor skills. Also had Parent Observation Day at gymnastics, with essentially the same report. It was funny to watch her talk, talk, talk to the instructor while on the balance beam and the bar, [...]

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Ch-Ch-Ch-Cheetah Love

11.11.08

Photos from the Cheetah Girls concert last weekend in Atlantic City. Cute show. Lots of costume changes, which my daughter loved.

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Preschool and Panic Attacks

9.20.08

This week we started our new fall schedule that includes preschool, gymnastics, ballet and swimming. And my usually-social daughter has suddenly turned into a whining, clinging, crying-and-deathgripping-my-neck child. I’ve been completely blindsided by her behavior. And stressed to the point of a panic attack.

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The Lemonade Stand: Sell What People Want

7.2.08

A few people wandered back to the garage for our sale. When they did, L would come back to see if they had any questions about his toys. But in the end, it was the lemonade stand that got most of the attention – and the profit.

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Big Isn't Always About Size

6.13.08

What I know is that my son might not be a big, boisterous kid, but he’s big where it counts: his heart, his dedication to the team, and his focus.

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Lady Luck

3.17.08

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Who Do Homeschooling Parents Think They Are?

2.15.08

There is an interesting discussion going on at the Asbury Park Press web site about the pros and cons of homeschooling. This is one of my favorite comments (and in case you don’t catch it, this is sarcasm): TANSTAAFL2: I don’t know who these parents think they are. You would think they might leave the [...]

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PHAT Holidays 2007

1.5.08

I’m finally posting the PHAT Family’s Holiday Photos. We had a fantastic holiday season this year. We started out with a trip to my Dad’s and visited with my sister, step-sisters and their families. Lots of kids and fun, just as the holidays should be. We went sledding. PHAT Daddy dressed up like Santa on [...]

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