20Mar

Who’s that lady?

Excuse me, but I think you’ve confused me with someone else. Everyone keeps telling me that my oldest daughter is about to turn 11 years old, but you see, that can’t be possible. She is still two. I am still 29. I’m a carefree mom—not...
21Dec

Snooping, Swelling, and the Flu

I have a history of almost ruining Christmas. I never mean to do it, and sometimes it’s not even my fault, but I have this history nonetheless. First, there was the time when I was about 11, when I’d asked my parents for a very fancy...
01Oct

Scary Stuff

This is the month you’re expecting to read about Halloween, but I’ve got something truly scary to discuss with you. On September 7, my husband and I began Phase 1 of the Liquid Amino Diet—a strict 30-day detox/eating regimen. I’ll spare you the details, but suffice...
08Jun

Bloodsuckers

Don’t be thrown off by that title. I’m not talking about teenage paranormal romance novels. We have a REAL vampire crisis on our hands, people. There are literally creatures out there RIGHT NOW that feed off our blood. EVERY DAY! In fact, I just swatted one,...
13Apr

Reunited, and it feels so…ugh.

Originally published on SouthlakeMoms.com.   I’m getting old. My 20-year high school reunion is officially around the corner, and I am SO NOT READY for it. For a variety of reasons. Where should I start? I’m not a doctor or a lawyer or a future Nobel Prize candidate. Haven’t...
30Oct

Have a great trip…see you next Fall

When we moved from San Jose back to Texas in 2005, my husband and I promised ourselves we would continue to visit our beloved Bay Area—our home together for over a decade. At least once a year, we said. At first, we were true to our...
26Aug

Hot Stuff

I really want to write something witty and engaging for you this month, but frankly, it’s too hot. Seriously hot. Can’t-touch-the-steering-wheel hot. Cook-an-egg-on-the-driveway hot. Stupid hot. Last month, I wrote from the cool climate of the Rockies, which made humor and creativity literally ooze from my...
13Jul

No Longer Adrift

Thirty seconds into Chuck's “safety talk,” and I could barely hold it together. I gritted my teeth. My kids were watching. Chuck was our lead guide for the day, and he was telling us what to do if we fell out of the raft. Don’t try...
24Jun

Get on the Lists

    You will never confuse me with a frugal person. In my opinion, money is made to be spent. It’s like a transmogrification miracle: Spend it, and money literally becomes something else. Maybe, if you’re lucky, it becomes something fun. Or shiny.   Money in a bank is...
04Jun

Not Her Type

With summer vacation in full swing, and a vacation in my family’s near future, I decided to set my 9 year old up with her own blog. Blogs have a lot to offer that private diaries can’t provide, and the interactive potential can be healthy...
09Sep

Calgon, take me away…for at least three days

Welcome back, my friends. This is the season of go-go-go, of speed-breakfasting, bus-catching, and teleporting between home and school and dance and soccer. This is the resurgence of 20-minute stand-up dinners, bedtime warnings, homework checking, and nag-nag-nag. This is that place where your hands are...
07Jul

Help! I’m stranded and I need money…

I know it’s no laughing matter, but I have to admit I thought it was a little bit funny. I have this friend who just had her email hacked—after which every contact in her email address book (hundreds) received a mysterious message. The subject line...
17Jun

Road Trip Evolution

When I was a little girl, my family drove everywhere. My parents revered all things practical and efficient, and cars fit the bill perfectly. They got you where you were going, they were much less expensive than airline tickets, and—unlike buses or trains—they enabled you...
13May

To Facebook or not to Facebook

Someone recently forwarded my husband a link to an episode of “South Park” where the primary topic is Facebook. Now, I’m sure there are many who take offense at “South Park” humor, but I admit, I’m a fan. (For those not in the know, I’m...
06Feb

Apron Strings

Several weeks ago at the bookstore, while waiting on kids and poking lazily through the new releases table, I found a title that intrigued me: The iConnected Parent. I grabbed it because I thought it was one of those diatribes against technology and children, and...
17Sep

Let the Chaos Begin!

School is now in session. Let the chaos begin!   Mind you, I’m not just talking about school mayhem. Some of you, like me, have extended obligations beyond your children to include “paying” work, volunteer commitments, and community involvement—all of which seems to pick up in September....