Idon’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. I’m tired of debates, Twitter, the media, and this election. I will turn 35 on Election Day this year. In the past I have worked the polls, happily handing out information to those seeking it and enjoying being a part of our democracy. I will not be doing that this year. I will go and cast my vote hoping that there will not be any ugliness at the polls. I will go holding my breath, that I will not see any of the behavior that has been so prevalent over the past six…

A fter a year and a half of procrastination, I finally forced my kids into the dentist office for their six-month (18-month for us) check-up. I had been falling prey to the desperate pleas to keep putting it off for too long. It was time to get back in the dental chair and see what we were dealing with. I fully expected the boy to have at least one cavity; I have to fight him daily to brush his teeth. I was not worried at all about my sweet flower; she automatically brushes every night before bed, without being asked.…

The dog days of summer seem to be a figment of the imagination as we begin our third week back to school. Splashing, running, and soaking up the sun are things of the distant past. No more Popsicles and bare feet, they have now been traded in for brand new tennis shoes, and sandwiches packed lovingly into lunchboxes. School is back in full force, and we have finally adjusted to our routine this year. I’m happy to report that my new fifth- and first-graders are adapting very well to their new grade levels. Each coming home excited each day as…

I feel as though someone has hit the “pause” button. From the birth of my first child, my darling boy, to this very moment; time has been on fast forward. I can barely remember that sweet towheaded little boy, with curls bouncing as he ran on his chubby little legs towards me, arms outstretched. I know that I wrote endless columns in this very paper about our adventures in parenting this delightful boy from tantrums in the Chester Library to singing sweetly to the Disney “Cars” soundtrack in our minivan. Then there was the birth of my precious flower. My…

Growing older can be rewarding and also depressing. As we grow, we experience so much joy watching our children grow, seeing friends and family succeed, and enjoying the world as it goes through each glorious season. On the flip side, we start to experience more aches and pains, gray hair and wrinkles, and health issues. I have just experienced my first “health” problem and it was eye opening and terrible at the same time. Last fall I started noticing that I just didn’t feel like myself. I was having stomach pain and nausea after eating and was just not feeling…

Cool trickling water, ice cubes clinking in a glass, waterfalls spraying a fine cool mist, the first crisp morning when you know fall is approaching; we all could use a little cool-off right about now. I will tell you that I absolutely hate the heat, and this week is horrifying. When the heat index gets above 88 degrees, I’m done. It’s gotten so miserable that my children have turned into whining, blithering, limp-as-a-noodle, fighting-like-cats and dogs monsters. I just can’t stand it any longer. The three of us have spent every waking minute with each other, and of course my…

If you are like me, then your heart is heavy this week. Actually, my heart has been heavy for longer than just this week, as our country is being torn apart from the inside out. This has been an emotional, frightening, and depressing week. But in reality, hasn’t every week provided us with something that makes our heart hurt? Two black men were shot and killed by police officers this week, and police officers in Dallas were killed in an alleged “revenge” style attack. There was death and destruction on our media networks streaming 24/7. How can you not be…

I have just come from my very last “Word Wall Ball.” For those of you who are not familiar with what a “Word Wall Ball” is, it is a celebration of the kindergarteners who have learned all of the kindergarten word wall words. Word wall words are essentially sight words that the kids must learn during the first year of school. Once you have learned all of your word wall words, you are invited to the ball, which is held at the end of the year. It is truly a sight to behold! The children dress in their finest, as…

As I write this, it is raining, again. I am sitting in my comfy clothes (i.e. yoga pants and a stain spattered button-up) drinking my “digestive tea” as “House Hunters” plays in the background. It is cozy, it is peaceful, but if we have to deal with any more rain this spring I will scream. Rainy days are lovable in moderation. If the sun is shining I absolutely feel that I must be out doing something. Whether that means working in the yard, tending to the chickens and the gardens, or running errands, I ultimately feel like I have to…

We all fail as parents at one point or another. I am fully convinced that no matter how stable and nurturing of an environment I provide for my two, they will undoubtedly end up needing therapy in their adult years from some slight or trauma that I induced unknowingly. It just seems that is the way it is these days. See, when I was growing up, quite a few of us had “functional dysfunction” households. My husband and I are from “broken homes” and endured many scenarios that my children will never bear witness to; and we work very hard…