Today I had a wonderful discussion with a new friend about whether or not we’re ruining our kids. We lamented the tension between being a nurturing, involved mom and being an overprotective nutcase. Do young kids need to navigate a bigger, scarier world solo to gain true self-confidence? During our conversation, I said, “One thing we...Continue Reading
There is a good reason why our family is at the beach. It’s the same reason Nate is naked. (And, yes the reason he is playing some sort of celebratory air guitar.). We are celebrating fall on the Gulf Coast. October is (secretly) the best time to go to the beach. The tourists from Italy,...Continue Reading
Today’s FAQ is with Nate. We’re here to discuss Nate’s phenomenal gaming skills…specifically his skill at finding anyone with an iPad in a one-mile radius. FAQ #1: Who is the friend you’re playing with here, Nate? Someone from your school? A classmate of Sam’s? Nate: That girl? I had never seen her before in my...Continue Reading
Dear Catie… I’m writing this on the day of your last volleyball game. Your coach predicts you might win this game, which is good news for your team. They seem tired of losing. You seem a little tired of losing. But really, you’re fine either way. This is you, Catie. You’re just happy. You rarely...Continue Reading
When I was growing up in Galveston during the ’70s and ’80s, we had one shopping mall. Galvez Mall was the perfect size for our small-ish city. There were the usual ’80s staples (Limited, Corn Dog Factory, arcade, movie theater), but also a couple fancy, locally-owned department stores and more than one t-shirt shack. Really,...Continue Reading
Today’s FAQ is with Sam, who loves to help in the kitchen play around with small electronics. We’re talking about yesterday’s cookie disaster. It wasn’t pretty. FAQ #1: Sam, it looks like you’re chopping some pecans. What are you making? Sam: Paleo Breakfast Cookies! I think. Or banana bread. Or pecan pie. Look, I’m not...Continue Reading
When I found out I was pregnant with Nate, the twins had just turned two. Catie was five, and we had moved into our new house a few months before. We were busy settling into our new town, unpacking boxes, and shuttling Catie back and forth to Kindergarten at our old church. The twins were...Continue Reading
I just finished reading Animal Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I didn’t totally love the book, but I did agree with one point the author reiterates over and over again: cook with your kids. Kingsolver makes a solid case for how important it is for the next generation to learn how their way around the...Continue Reading
Today’s FAQ is with Madison, our 14-year-old Cocker Spaniel. She’s here to disprove the conventional wisdom, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Madison’s newest trick is pooping everywhere in the house. We’re here to get to the bottom (pun intended) of this new “trick.” FAQ #1: Madison, after 14 years as a Hergenrader,...Continue Reading
Here’s how it went down… Wednesday, After School 3:30 PM: Elisabeth announces she is finished with her homework, even though we have only been home for four minutes. She’s not faking. Homework is her love language. She usually tries to finish it on the ten-minute drive home. Or, at least, upon walking into the house....Continue Reading
