Category Archives: Reality check

Top 10 Signs You’re In Vermont

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Susan H. Greenberg

In the event that a New England blizzard blows you off course and you can’t get your bearings, these signs will help. While you might spot any one of them in any number of states, if you happen to see … Continue reading →

Posted in Reality check, Small-town life | Tagged , , , , | 3 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 , , , , , , | 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 , , , , | 6 Comments

Removing the Names to Protect the Guilty

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Susan H. Greenberg

Apparently I’ve been on a hiatus. In general, if I don’t post for awhile, it probably means one of two things: either someone in my family has done something–possibly involving body art, sexual exploration, illicit substances, and/or the police– that … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Parenting, Reality check, Teenagers, Working motherhood | Tagged , , , , , | 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 , , , , , | 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 , , , , | 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 , , , , , , | 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 , , | 5 Comments

Love Me, Love My Foibles

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Susan H. Greenberg

My friend Linda has a theory that the qualities that first attract you to a mate are the same ones that will annoy the crap out of you later. So if, for instance, it’s his mild- mannered agreeableness you first … Continue reading →

Posted in Division of Labor, Family life, Marriage, Reality check | Tagged | 4 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 , , , , , , | 6 Comments