Category Archives: Kids

MWF, Looking for a Date

Posted on February 14, 2014 by Susan H. Greenberg

I’ve started applying eyeliner when I go out. And earrings. If I notice dirt on my jeans, I might even change them. Suddenly, I’m putting a lot more effort into making a good impression. Why? I’m on the market again. … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Friendship, Kids, Marriage | Tagged BFFs, dating, moving, romance | 7 Comments

Home is Where the Mess Is

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Susan H. Greenberg

The move to Vermont is behind us, if not the unpacking. It’s a slow process. Every day I tackle approximately one box, then collapse, exhausted, on a giant pile of mismatched socks. Among the things we haven’t yet been able … Continue reading →

Posted in Division of Labor, Family life, Kids, Marriage, Parenting | Tagged moving, relocating, Vermont | 12 Comments

In Which Mr. 70 Percent Moves Me

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Susan H. Greenberg

I’ve had a lot to process. Mr. 70 Percent has gone all out and gotten himself a new job. In Vermont. And so our gradual withdrawal from civilization continues. We left the New York area in 2005, beaten down by … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Marriage, Neighbors, Parenting, Pets, Reality check, Teenagers | Tagged Apple Store, college town, Green Mountains, moving, Target, Vermont, Whole Foods | 22 Comments

The Lousy Weekend

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Susan H. Greenberg

It was nearing five o’clock on a Friday, and I was looking forward to the weekend: soccer, errands, dinner with friends, the season premiere of Homeland. Then the phone rang. “Mommy?” my daughter said. Her voice sounded shaky. “What happened?” … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Parenting, Reality check, Siblings, Teenagers | Tagged car accident, cars, lice, nits, teen driving | 6 Comments

A Vacation from the Kids

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Susan H. Greenberg

I am now three days into the highlight of my summer, the holiday I’ve been eagerly anticipating for months. No, I am not wine-tasting in Napa, beach-combing in the Caribbean, or sight-seeing in Paris. In fact, I’ve never worked harder. … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Marriage, Parenting, Pets, Reality check | Tagged bridge, camp, empty nest, golf, leaving the kids, Outward Bound | 8 Comments

Who’s the Winner Now?

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Susan H. Greenberg

It was somewhere around the fourth hour of the softball tournament that I started silently rooting against my daughter’s team. “Swing!” I’d telepathically command the batter as the ball sailed two feet over her head. “Call it a strike,” I … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Parenting, Reality check, Sports | Tagged ice cream truck, Round Robin, softball, tailgating, tournament | 9 Comments

Hoping for a Cavity

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Susan H. Greenberg

I felt a little surge of joy when the dentist recently reported a cavity in one of my 9-year-old’s molars. That’s because I have long suspected she doesn’t always brush her teeth when I send her into the bathroom each … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Parenting, Reality check, School, Teenagers | Tagged brushing teeth, cavities, homework, natural consequences, Picasso, poetry, teeth | 3 Comments

A Day Like Any Other

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Susan H. Greenberg

I didn’t have high expectations for Mother’s Day. That’s because on Friday, Mr. 70 Percent called and asked, “What do you want to do for Mother’s Day?” I was pleased that he had thought of it two full days ahead. … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Holidays, Kids, Marriage, Parenting, Reality check, Teenagers | Tagged greeting cards, Hallmark, Mother's Day | 5 Comments

Good Enough for Grandma

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Susan H. Greenberg

Now I understand why my mother always brushed my bangs out of my eyes before we visited my grandmother. There’s something about seeing your parents that makes you turn a critical eye on your own child-rearing, and nothing says “bad … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Grandparents, Kids, Parenting, Teenagers, Travel | Tagged Day of Silence, dressing, haircut, homosexuality, Mary Poppins | 5 Comments

The Lack-of-Variety Show

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Susan H. Greenberg

It’s 5:00 in the afternoon and I’m sitting inside a darkened auditorium watching the dress rehearsal for the annual elementary school Variety Show. I’ve got my laptop and a bag full of snacks, because I know I’m in for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Family life, Kids, Parenting, Reality check, School | Tagged american idol, Dancing with the Stars, Glee, Pricetag, Simon Cowell, talent show, variety show | 6 Comments