10. There are half-full, brightly-colored plastic cups on the floor in every room. Three are in the bathtub. 9. There’s always that one girl, bawling her eyes out in a corner. 8. It’s best not to assume that the person closest to you has any control over their digestive function. 7. You sneak off to [...]

From my blog at the Spencer Daily Reporter… Today I was walking out of a Spencer business with my three-year-old holding my hand. As we left the store, a large crew cab truck looked like they were going to pull up in front. I told my daughter that we had to stop and see what [...]

This weekend we will be taking a roadtrip with Syd to a family reunion. It’s roughly 5 hours by car each way. We do not have a DVD player for the car and don’t plan on getting one. I don’t want to pack all of her toys, but I want her to be occupied. When [...]

The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond is one of the most gripping books that I’ve read in a long time. It begins with Abby Mason, walking a beach in the Bay area with her finance’s 6-year-old daughter, Emma. For one moment, Abby looks away at a dead seal pup on the beach. When she [...]

———- Forwarded message ———-From: Laurel Date: Fri, Jan 15, 2010 at 1:07 PMSubject: Tough Love vs. Spanking – Good Argument To: Tough Love vs. Spanking – Good Argument                 Most people think it improper to spank children, so I have tried other methods to control my kids when they have one of  'those moments.'                 [...]

There has to be some secret to brushing a toddler’s teeth. I always feel like I am not doing it enough, and that I’m not doing it well. Syd doesn’t hold still and let me get all of her teeth, or get the ones that I can get to properly. If I let her brush [...]