Last week my son announced he was going to stop drinking soda and eating red meat. Given that he has subsisted almost entirely on bacon and root beer for 14 years, this came as something of a shock. Still, I … Continue reading
One of my key roles as parent is to contradict whatever my children do or say. If a child is feeling blue, my job is to cheer her up; if she’s inexplicably giddy, I make her empty the dishwasher. When … Continue reading
My little brother is the only person on earth I have ever punched as hard as I could. It’s been 35 years, but I can still recall the intense feelings of rage I felt toward him for his hideous way … Continue reading
When my son first told me his head hurt after football practice, I offered my standard response: “I’m sure it’s nothing; take two Advil.” By now, I should know better. I have given this erroneous assessment at least a dozen … Continue reading
Oh my. My son returned home from a two week backpacking trip in the Blue Ridge mountains with some harrowing tales to tell, along with a smelly piece of freshly-killed-rattlesnake skin. A more anxious mother might have banned him from … Continue reading
In recent weeks, my son has become obsessed with the idea of building a zip line in our backyard. To me, it sounded like a cockamamie idea–one of his crazy projects that would soon give way to plans for building … Continue reading
Like many representatives of his gender, my son is project-driven. Do not ask him to sit and have a conversation, unless it’s about the melting point of copper or where to find 25 pounds of modeling clay. Our house is … Continue reading
