A few years ago, I kept things lively with a special treat for the boys each day of spring break. One day, we visited the arcade with a handful of quarters for their glorious spending pleasure. Tuck spent his coins on experiences: virtual motorcycle rides and shooting galleries. Tyler spent his coins and best efforts […]
“Hi. I should introduce myself. We’re actually really good friends,” she says as we pass each other on the sidewalk, each of us walking our dogs AGAIN. “You just haven’t met me yet. But I read your stuff every day. We have coffee together.” I love when this happens. When the cyber world around me […]
"What's keeping you awake at night?" A friend of mine asks this question when she wants to get the to the heart of what's on the minds of the people she loves. The worries that keep us awake at night can point to the core of who we are. What's on my mind tonight? The […]
Tyler and I went to see SpongeBob the Musical last night, since - surprise, surprise - it wasn't on the top of Peter's list of shows he longed to see. Tyler was next in line, and we called it our Self Quarantine Jailbreak. Listen. I didn't expect to love it. SpongeBob was on our TV […]
So, this happened last week. Eight days of cruise ship magic and wonder, evening entertainment, limeades and margaritas, karaoke and water slides, three international ports, all punctuated with an exclamation mark of a day at Disney World. So, basically, we did all the things that they say you shouldn't be doing right now. We […]
Peter's talent agent booked him for his next gig. "Pete, let's have the wife come along this time - oh, and that darling dog whom everyone loves. Bring the wife and the dog. The client would like to have all of you in the commercial." It's an anti-vaping campaign, and Sam was basically the star […]
"Where do I register?" You can Register by Clicking Here. "What is this weekend about?" "What does the registration fee include?" You have been so gracious to send me your questions, and I have answers to them all. We are delighted to partner with The Berlin Grande Hotel in Berlin, Ohio, located in the heart […]
The Pen and The Page is coming to Ohio this summer, and registrations are live today! The Pen and The Page is carefully crafted for writers of every level to explore writing as a sacred pathway of worship. Whether you’ve written books or simply enjoy scribbling your thoughts, something truly magical happens when you invite […]
My son witnessed an assault against a young woman in his P.E. Class. A situation of a young man wielding a hockey stick where it should never, ever go. The school administration handled it well, which is why I feel okay writing about it here. It doesn't need to be rehashed or revisited, but my […]
There are rules to this gig of Stage Mom. I'm a babe in the woods, learning as I go. For starters, Actors rehearse. Athletes practice. Ne'er shall the two be confused nor interchanged, except when I get it wrong. The only thing worse than when I accidentally call Tyler's rehearsal a "practice" is when I […]
"This is one of my favorite days," he said. He's the principal of my sons' middle school, and he was hosting the Honor Roll Assembly. Each student would receive a public affirmation, a firm handshake, and a certificate. We parents are the lucky ones - the real winners. We get the coveted sticker for the […]
What advice would you give to the younger you? ⠀ ⠀ “Love Hard. Especially because I now know what that would cost me... to love hard. And I would do it all again. I wouldn’t have spared myself any of the pain that I have gone through by loving hard, and by loving what death […]
Registrations are open for The Pen and The Page: March 13 - 15, 2020 The Pen and The Page: Writing as Worship The Pen and The Page is carefully crafted for writers of every level to explore writing as a sacred pathway of worship. Whether you’ve written books or simply enjoy scribbling your thoughts, something […]
"Mom, is that what you're wearing?" They are teenagers now - one teen and one almost-teen - and they take great interest or offense in what I am wearing. "This is what I am wearing," I say, side glancing his way as I drop a package of peanut m&m's in my brown bag. "But it's […]
The good news is they’re a hit with all the men at my house. Happy Merry Making. May your nipples look prettier than mine.
[et_pb_section admin_label="section"] [et_pb_row admin_label="row"] [et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text"] Oh, this story... it's one of my brother's classic moves. Everyone should have a fun uncle. I blew Santa's cover last year, and it was a glorious ending to the gig of his great fame at our house. I've never looked back. With no reservations, I handed some wrapping […]
"I was reading a book a few weeks ago - I like to read first thing in the morning these days, with my coffee. So I was reading the book and I went to take a sip of coffee and I spilled on the book. I got all upset: 'Now look! I ruined the book! […]
We were in those few days after Thanksgiving, when the world seems to take a few days off work to indulge in eating, sleeping, and some very glorious spending. We are all stuffed with turkey and potatoes, we are eating pies for breakfast, and we are putting leftovers on sandwiches we would never dream of […]
When your husband helps a man get his car out of the snow, and the man can’t speak English because he’s new to the United States, but he thought his tires would be okay because he had never seen snow before, And then when the guy finds where you live and rings your doorbell to […]
Timehop is a lovely invention of an app. I love how it gently knocks on the door of my mind and says, "Would you like to know what you were doing on this very day for the last few years? Thanks to your contributions to the interwebs and social medias, we've documented it for you." […]
