My son, Robot, (I’ll be using my kids’ nicknames in this blog) has a friend named Peen. Yes, Peen. Don’t ask me about the origin of the name. Peen is a globetrotter. He’s lived everywhere it seems: Mars, China, Portland, Washington, San Jose, and some place called “Peenum”. He is the fastest human alive. Also, […]
Welcoming Life
The other evening did not go well. Maybe it was the transition from vacation back to real life, the post-holiday, post-sugar blues. Whatever it was, it wasn’t pretty. Some days, that’s just how it goes. Both kids are ornery. I am short-tempered and tired and my husband is working late again. Traffic sucks. The kids […]
Christmas Present
We had the special opportunity this year to have my kids and their cousins all together for Christmas. To celebrate the occasion, my parents orchestrated a little visit from one of Santa’s helpers. My dad, playing the role of one of Santa’s “assistants”, took each kid on his lap and went over a list of […]
Invoking the Jolly Green Giant and Other Tricks: Getting My Kids to Eat Green Stuff
During this magical time of year when we’re assaulted by rich foods and sweet treats, I’m trying to balance out the cookies and eggnog in my house with foods that have actual color and crunch. My kids adore fruit, but vegetables are another story. Here are a few tricks that have worked for me to […]
Lessons from the Valley and the Sandbox
I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m kind of a luddite. Even after living and working in Silicon Valley for years, being married to a computer scientist and giving birth to two digital natives, I’m just not much of a techie. I don’t enjoy learning how to use a new phone and I […]
Alphabet Scramble 