Our youngest child has always had a talent for building things out of just about anything he can get his hands on. Blocks, train tracks, vegetables, sticks, cups, or paper clips, are mediums he has used to create towns, castles, schools, and shopping malls. It’s not uncommon to see a trail of paper shreds leading to Peter sitting at the dining room table deep in thought as he … [Read more...]
The Real Story About How I Got My Name
When I was growing up, I always loved to hear my mom tell the story of how she picked my name. I would happily curl up next to her and listen intently as she told me for the hundredth time, that she had originally picked the name Christina for me, if I was a girl. And she planned to call me Tina. But, and she would make a big show of the word “but,” giving the word a … [Read more...]
Learning To Say Goodbye
Our son, who will be starting his freshman year in college this fall, met with the school’s counselors last week to set up his class schedule. Why I thought my husband and I would be involved in this process is beyond me. Tom has been handling his own scheduling issues and any other problems that might come his way since high school. He’s quite skillful at it. I knew he … [Read more...]
There’s No Such Thing as a Sick Day When You’re a Mom
Each and every time I dare to get sick, I’m plagued with a recurring dream. I’m in bed with an extremely sore throat or a painful stomach bug. I can barely lift my head up. Yet I keep trying to reach my office to let them know I won’t be in today. But whatever I do, I can’t seem to get through to a single person who can help me. I’m in a full-blown panic because I’m sick … [Read more...]
Things I Know for Sure About Raising Children After 18 Years of Motherhood
After being a mother for eighteen years, twelve as the mother of three, there are some things about raising children that I just know to be true. These include the following: A child can take a shower for over an hour and not only not wash his hair, but somehow miraculously not even get it wet. This same child can water the flower garden and not get one plant wet, yet … [Read more...]
