If adulthood is defined as being completely self-supporting and living on one’s own, then I achieved that milestone when I was 23. If it is defined by getting married, having a child, or paying a mortgage, I crossed those off my list at 27, 33, and 35, respectively. But looking back, I now know I became a card-carrying member of the grown-up set the morning I … [Read more...]
A Star is Born
My daughter is destined to be a star. I just know it. She walked onto the stage Friday night in her pink and green costume with her lion mask on top of her head, and her mere presence made the crowd go wild. OK. The people who went wild were me, my husband Joe, our two sons, and my parents. But we were as excited to see Lizzy take the back row of the chorus in her school’s … [Read more...]
Every Day is Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day will soon be upon us. This means everywhere I look, I’m bombarded with ads and commercials that picture a happy mother cuddling her baby, getting sloppy kisses from her toddler, or sharing a special moment with her teen. The second Sunday of May is often depicted in loving images, with husbands showering their wives with beautiful and expensive presents and … [Read more...]
5 Surprising Ways Kids Can Strengthen a Marriage
Before my husband and I had our three children, we frequently went out to dinner, slept late on weekends, went to the movies, and were free to have sex whenever the mood struck us. We were married for almost six years before our first child was born, and we thought we had a good thing going. Joe learned to find my habit of loving a particular food until I decided, without … [Read more...]
We Plan God Laughs
When I was nine months pregnant, I was very familiar with the inability to sleep. I was making the best of this by trying to enjoy the peace and quiet of a sleeping household, while laying on my bed, listening to my favorite oldies station. My soon-to-be-born third child was having none of it. Nope, once again I felt the now very familiar tightening and release of the … [Read more...]
