I know I shouldn’t have more chocolate. I’ve lectured my kids a hundred times on the pitfalls of sugar addiction. And yet, here I am, as soon as they are out of sight, reaching for the candy drawer. I am a hypocrite. Read more
I’m not ready to leave it all behind again. But my children have not spent any time in the age-halting Neverland, and so they are growing up and leaving the stories of childhood behind. Read more
It’s the eve of New Year’s Eve and across the country people are making out a list of resolutions. Read more
Thanksgiving is but a few short days away. This is the week we all pause to reflect and be grateful. And today, I am grateful for nothing. Read more
With fall festivals to attend all month long, the costume construction starts in late September. That is when the final decisions must be made. Read more
I’m going to keep this short because I have a hand cramp. It’s a recurring condition that happens at the beginning of every school year. Read more
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A trip to the supermarket gives me a hint of the culture of a city in the most accessible way — through the way they eat. Read more
Summer vacation for a kid is all about freedom, a chance to engage in their interests more intently and to explore their world in the extended daylight hours. But someone has to plan all that. Read more
It’s the time of year when parents and students are keeping a close eye on the mailbox. They’re on the lookout for those coveted thick acceptance envelopes and those dreaded thin rejections. Read more
As I helped my son fill out his registration forms for high school classes, all I could think was how little time I had left to parent him. Read more
Instead of a circa-2008 CD player, there’s a 7-inch media screen in the middle of the dash in our new Honda Accord. I can push one button to stream music from Pandora and another to chat with Siri. Read more
There was a time when parents had to wait weeks, even months, to find out how their child was performing at school. Report card day was a big deal. These days, middle school report cards are just a formality. Read more
I’m no technophobe. I tweet daily about my activities with the kids. I stalk like-minded strangers on Pinterest. I have an unhealthy obsession with playing Words With Friends 2 with my sister who lives 5,000 miles away. But I still love my Day Runner planner. Read more
It doesn’t matter where you go, the tree lot is a precarious scene. Lopsided trees threaten to topple. Shoppers fling away unwanted trees as they try to clear a path for themselves. Successful customers navigate the crowded aisles back to the checkout stand with their field of vision obscured by massive noble fir. Read more
Living on an island, the parenting game is different. There are fewer events and programs and no neighboring townships to drive to seeking more opportunities. Read more
I used to gripe the same way that Christmas shouldn’t come before Halloween. But after years of fighting the trend of an earlier and earlier Christmas shopping season, I changed my tune. Read more
Just as I charted my children’s first words, first foods and charming quotes over the years, I find myself tracking their ever-changing career ambitions. Their goals give me a window into their most beloved interests and their perceptions of the world. Read more
Every two years, youth baseball gets much harder as players progress through PONY or Little League. The field gets bigger, and with each up-sizing, the boys and girls are required to master new skills. Read more
My son is now 8, and his room overflows with all his “precious things”: shells and sea glass, sparkly bits of ribbon, broken crayons, paper clips and scraps of wrapping paper. I have a collector. Read more
It’s summertime, and like so many others I’m planning a Disney vacation, except I don’t know when we’re going. Read more
Like so many other commuters, every morning we pack up the car for a long trip through traffic. Once we leave home in Pearl City, we’re not venturing back, so we bring everything we need for the day. Read more
