dirt don't hurt

Being a mom who considers motherhood her full-time job and who takes her job very seriously, there are often times when I just have no idea whether or not, quite frankly, suck at it. There are moments of laziness. ("Sure, watch Scooby again for the umpteenth time.") There are moments of frustration. ("What's the matter with you?!? Why are you missing so many on your math test? We practice! You're wasting my time!") There are moments of exhaustion. ("Please just go away.") And the hard part about parenting is that there is really no concrete way of judging how well you are doing. There's no report card, no review sessions. There are no checklists, and there sure as heck aren't any pay raises. So what we're left with are the little things. The random hugs, the sparse compliments. But every now and then, something appears out of nowhere, like this recipe card Ellen concocted the other night. She told me she was writing a secret recipe, and...

If you like this blog, take 2 seconds and vote for me at the following site... http://www.scholastic.com/parents/blogcontest/ Or perhaps even if you don't like me. Or pehaps even if you just feel like a random act of kindness, or a rare burst of energy, or are somehow robotic and do everything someone tells you to do, in which case, while you're at it, send me a boatload of cash.

From the Facebook game that seems to be going around of late...I thought I'd just post my 25 random things here, too, because I'm pretty sure I'll never make it to the "20 questions" part of the local paper. 1. I won a band scholarship after HS, but rarely ever touch the saxophone. 2. I own my own set of mining gear. 3. I am licensed to carry a concealed weapon in Ohio, but don't normally pack heat at the playground. 4. There was a time when I did not like coffee. That was long ago and far away. 5. I have slept in a cow pasture after having cooked my dinner over a pile of flaming turds. 6. I really wish I could speak polish. 7. I have a freckle on my butt. 8. I can double curl my tongue. 9. I love the woods and wish I owned a hundred acres and had my own maple syrup farm, but instead will settle for 1.1 0. I don't know how I ended up with my husband, but there could never be a better match. 11. I wish my entire world smelled like a campfire. 12. I love to ...

I recently received a very special package in the mail. It was enough to make a mama weep. The idea came to me via my brilliant cousin in the form of a shower gift, some eight or so years ago before my first child was born. After opening package after package of pink sleepers, bibs, and diaper pins, I was surprised to see two disposable cameras in the box. Actually, I was kind of like, “huh? I am having a baby here. I need stuff. Baby stuff. Not cameras.” Of course, I didn’t say this out loud, although given the girth of my belly, no one would have or could have stopped me. Instead I smiled and thanked my cousin who obviously recognized the look on my face. She then went on to explain this odd gift. “These cameras each have 26 pictures on them. Take one picture every week of your child’s entire first year. Set her in the same chair every week, and don’t develop the cameras until her first birthday.” “OK,” I thought. My cousin is a fairly fabulous mom, so I took her word for it, not kno...

The meanings of some songs are best danced out...

First of all, let me say that I accomplished something that would have, I believe, in some circles of religions, put me into sainthood. It was a miracle of dramatic proportions, and even I can hardly believe it. I made a turkey meatloaf that my family loved. This was a miracle because a) my kids ate meatloaf and liked it and b) my husband didn't blurt out "where's the beef?" as if he were an old lady jonesing for a square hamburger patty. I personally ate so much of it that I skipped breakfast this morning because I was still full from the amount that I crammed in at dinner. But besides the amazing turkey meatloaf, I also whipped up a loaf of beer bread to welcome the husband home from a business trip. And as much as I love the simple and tasty packages that I tend to buy at home parties, this recipe is so easy. So easy. And cheap. Your friends will be amazed. I should say that my mom made this all the time when I was a kid, and being the dough-lover that I am, I woul...

It’s just one more reason in a long list entitled “how I know I’m getting old.” Even though I promised myself I would never do it, I have started comparing my childhood to my children’s and saying things like “you don’t know just how good you have it,” and “back in my day…” and other such nonsense that pushes me one step closer to turning into my mother. The latest cause for alarm is the wintery snow and cold that seems to come as a surprise every year, even though we all know it’s coming. And along with my proclamation of old age, I also find myself complaining about the cold (which I swear is getting colder) and the snow (which I’m sure is getting slipperier) and the winter in general (which I’m positive is getting longer, grayer, and darker.) But winter is winter, and as sure as you always end up following the salt truck when you’re late for an appointment, kids are drawn to the snow with unimaginable forces. I know. I was one of them, way back when. But now I find myself being a gr...