I grew up next to the ocean, but I rarely went in. The water was always too much of something. Too cold, too salty, too unforgiving. The currents were strong, and I wasn’t a great swimmer. The speckled blue waves were murky as they churned toward shore, and I was afraid of what swam beneath.…
Somewhere above the Pacific Ocean, three hours into our flight home from Hawaii, Max turned to his Daddy and handed him his string cheese. “Can you rip it for me, please?” he asked. It was a simple thing to ask. Having a grown-up start the first tear on your string cheese. We were sitting three…
When I was pregnant with Max, we warned our friends and family not to buy him anything “branded”. Our child wouldn’t be swayed by Disney. He wouldn’t need to know who Mickey Mouse was. “That’s all just extra crap that kids don’t need” we said. Then we actually had a child. And oh my, how…
Ocean City, New Jersey The Summer of 2012 I grew up at the beach. A beach a few thousand miles from this one. On an opposite coast. And yet when I dreamed of my tomorrows, they looked like this…. Our family came together a few weeks ago. They showed up big time. Embracing our little…
My motto is “Parenting kicks your ass”. I don’t like the lies that moms tell each other. About how things are always so wooonderful, and their kids are the perfect mix of “May I please have another helping of broccoli” and creative Crayola genius. Please. Parenting kicks your ass. My kid has gotten up around…