WARNING. I'm in a mood. A snarky mood. I do not, although it may sound like I do, HATE winter. Or snow. Or cold. Winter is winter. I learned the art of getting through winter from a 20 year stint in Chicago. Winter doesn't beat me. Yes, I'm cold. Yes, it's gray (nothing a light box can't help). Yes, there is snow. I get it. I'm cool with it. But, then, there are the 2-hour delays for wind chill. And snow days. I. Do. Not. Like. Them. Sam. I. Am! I grew up in Northern Va., where my mom bundled [...]

13. She's 13. I am now the parent of a 13 year old. And as I sit here listening to the laughter and squeals and amplified voices coming from the basement during my daughter's slumber party, I am thankful. My lovely daughter, asked for legos. And another Egyptian excavation kit. As well as an iTunes card. (A girl has to have her music.) But so far, for the most part, we still have a kid. Her wardrobe isn't that important. Boys? Forget about it. We ain't got no time for that drama. And don't mention makeup. She'll look at you [...]

"Mom, where are the rest of my books?" My poor son. My poor forgotten son. Sigh. Last night, my daughter had the sudden urgency to look through the scrapbooks I had made for her. Birth-2nd grade. (Note: she's now in 7th. Her books, however, stop in June of 2009.) My son, while enjoying his sister's books, kept looking for photos of himself as we strolled down her Memory Lane. He didn't show up until she was four. So, truly, there wasn't much of him to see. I do have a book of his first year. So, I enthusiastically whipped it [...]

It worked! It worked! Something you want. Something you need. Something to wear. Something to read. I'll be honest. I was a bit worried. We REALLY limited the amount of "stuff" that our kids accumulated for Christmas this year. I gave their gifts a lot of thought and it "paid off". I didn't spend a ton - and THEY, loved what they received. Other than a bike, which was a "want" and paid for my two sets of grandparents and us, the gifts were low key this year. As my kids went to bed on Christmas Eve, I reminded them [...]

We've never done Santa in our house. Our kids are 12 and 8, and Santa has never visited. Now, before you gasp, and feel badly for them, (although I realize that's a huge assumption on my part) let me assure you: They are fine. I grew up with Santa. We always did Christmas at my grandmother's house in Brooklyn, New York. I remember, each Christmas Eve, after a blow-out of a food orgy with tables lined up from the kitchen at the back of the house to the front door, we would call a number that started with CL9 to [...]