I’m including the above picture of my child inhaling a donut as reassurance that I’m not a know-it-all about getting kids to eat healthy.Rest assured that we’ve got our nutrition hills to climb over here. Catie doesn’t drink milk. Elisabeth’s love language is Cheetos. Sam eats dinner solely with the goal of getting dessert. Nate...Continue Reading
I’m sure every other mom in the universe has already read this.But now I’m reading it…and sobbing.And I’m leaving the date on this picture as proof that the last photo taken of me and the kids (not already posted on this blog) was four years ago.Someone has a lot of work to do.Continue Reading
Two facts of the weekend: 1. the Hergenrader Family LOVED The Texas Renaissance Festival. 2. We are not having another kid, but if we were, we would totally name it Texas Renaissance to win this contest. That’s how much we all enjoyed the Festival. Seriously. Well, you know, not totally seriously. Sometimes when M reads...Continue Reading
Yesterday I received an interesting wedding invitation.It was a white paper and written in script. On the bottom of the invite was a child’s drawing of the bride kissing the groom.There was also an upside down cross right in the middle of the invitation.The upside down cross was not as disturbing as the fact the...Continue Reading
So, like the book series by Stieg Larsson (an author I don’t enjoy, but that’s not the point here), the hornet is the third in a series of progressively more disturbing plot twists.Or, as we now call it, Sam’s life.To be clear, the title is the only similarity between the dark novel series and Sam’s adventures....Continue Reading
About ten years ago, when my first book was published, I went to a Youth Worker Convention in Kansas City. Part of the reason I went was to meet my new editor from my publishing house. I was so excited. The night before, while staying at my folks’ house, M and I decided I needed...Continue Reading
When I was a teenager, my best friend, Leslie, and I used to hang out in her room and read old Junior League cookbooks. In retrospect this was probably not the best use of our time. We could have spent many more hours doing whatever it is teenagers are supposed to do. And lots less...Continue Reading
Today was supposed to be the day that I wrote a book proposal. It was actually the day I was supposed to knock the book proposal out of the park. It was all set-up: I had help with the kids, and it was rainy and cold. No distractions. Just me, my laptop, and a secluded...Continue Reading
Why, oh, why did I have to read this article yesterday?Because, y’all, believe me when I say that I already feel guilty enough about Nate’s boppy (paci) addiction. I mean, not guilty enough to take it away from him and endure the screaming nights, but still very guilty.The other kids were paci-free by the time...Continue Reading
During my first year of teaching, which stands out in my biography as one of the toughest years I survived, a veteran teacher gave me some good advice. It was about this time of the year, when the routine of cranky teenagers and crankier parents was wearing me down, and I complained that teaching was...Continue Reading
