School Years

But I turn and clutch the doll to my chest, suppressing tears. This doll, placed so tenderly on the step, is an offering to the passage of time, to growing up, to letting go. It hurts my heart. I don’t want it to come yet. Slowly, I make my way down the stairs, cradling the doll.

I am lucky enough to live in a community with enough school choice to make your head spin; and, create a serious tendency towards FOMO - the fear of missing out. Homeschool? Homeschool with a cottage program? Online classes...

These days when it is time to shop for groceries, I simply look at my weekly meal plans, print out the appropriate shopping list and go! By keeping the current list of meal plans on our fridge, I know exactly what to prepare ahead of time and what to set out to thaw. The hardest part is remembering to look at the list.

You think you are a good parent. You check I/C if not daily- weekly. You check the planners. You are told by your sweet, honest, charming and defensive child they don’t have any homework or they did it in...

I am a mom of five kids, aged 8-14. And I feel fortunate to live in a school choice state, where we can decide what is best for each child. Three of my children attend the nearby elementary school....

In approximately one hundred days I will walk to school with my two babies like I’ve done for the last two years. Except this time it will be different. I will walk home alone. My kids are school aged...

Is summer vacation over?  Is it time to go back to school? Sumer vacation is over!! It's time to go back to school!! Ahhhhhhhhhhh.............. Yup, there it is.  Sighs of relief being released by mothers everywhere (and sure, Dads too!) For some of...

I went to Columbine High School. Remember that name? It was the site of one of deadliest school shootings in American history. Two students killed 13 classmates, then committed suicide in the library. Most people remember where they were when the...

I know some parents that have put a lot of time, effort and money into very specific career paths for their children, at a very young age. I think that's great, but I want to tell you something: Your...

Making Friends Some of you have lived here since the day you were born. Others, like me, have moved dozens of times. But we have something in common: Making new friends can be a little nerve-wracking for e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e. When I was younger, my...