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Motherhood Has Made Falling Down A Lot Less Fun

September 4, 2017 By Christine 5 Comments

Motherhood Has Made Falling Down A Lot Less Fun

I’m no stranger to falling down and, as my friends will tell you, I have a long history of tripping, losing my footing, and face planting, usually in an epic fashion. In fact, my fall down a hill of frozen mud one early morning in college is a story my college roommates love to recount […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough

That Time A Shih Tzu Came To Live With Me

January 16, 2017 By Christine 4 Comments

That Time A Shih Tzu Came To Live With Me

For my entire life, I was sure of a lot of things. I was sure I’d grow up and become a nurse and I was certain that I’d travel as much as I possibly could. I was certain there was nothing better than wool socks on a hardwood floor on a winter day and that […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough

On Letting Your Friends Down

November 14, 2016 By Christine 7 Comments

On Letting Your Friends Down

There’s a scene in the movie “Dirty Dancing” (also known as The Greatest Movie Of All Time And If You Haven’t Seen It, We Can’t Be Friends) where Jake Houseman, played by Jerry Orbach, has a come to Jesus conversation with his daughter, Baby, played by Jennifer Grey. As Dr. Houseman sits in a deserted gazebo […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough

The 8 Moms You’ll Meet At The Pool

July 18, 2016 By Christine 3 Comments

The 8 Moms You’ll Meet At The Pool

Summer is here which means we are all knee deep in camps, summer reading lists and generalized boredom by about ten in the morning. On the first day of summer vacation, I always have the best of intentions. Really, I do. We will go to the beach! We will see all the museums! We will go to […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way Tagged With: moms, pools, summer

Five Things That Annoy Moms At The Grocery Store

May 16, 2016 By Christine 7 Comments

Five Things That Annoy Moms At The Grocery Store

Last week, I posted this update on my Facebook page about grocery shopping:   And I was overwhelmed by how many of you commented that I’m not the only one who has a borderline psychosis about how I do my grocery shopping.  I was both amused and appalled at what a group of weirdos we […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way Tagged With: grocery shopping

The Seven Moms In A Group Text

April 28, 2016 By Christine Leave a Comment

The Seven Moms In A Group Text

If you have kids in the modern age of parenting, chances are, you’ve participated in at least one group text.  Whether it’s coordinating a play date, a Ladies’ Night Out or organizing a complicated carpool routine, texting takes on a whole new level of hell when you have multiple people expressing opinions.  And, often, the […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way Tagged With: carpool hell, group texts, moms

Who Is The Keeper Of The Fruit Loops?

March 12, 2016 By Christine 10 Comments

Who Is The Keeper Of The Fruit Loops?

Since it’s looking like after three years, over 100 posts, close to 50 freelance articles AND three essays published in anthologies that this blogging thing might be a regular gig,  I feel compelled to introduce myself to those of you reading (all 400 of you who subscribe…if you are reading and you haven’t subscribed, stop […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way, The Keeper News Tagged With: new kid on the blog

Don’t Talk To My Kids About Politics. That’s MY Job.

March 9, 2016 By Christine 8 Comments

Don’t Talk To My Kids About Politics.  That’s MY Job.

On the whole, I’m a good person. Really, I am. I recycle, I pay it forward and I practice random acts of kindness. I smile at strangers, I hold doors open for people and I will even let you merge ahead of me on the highway (though, I do give you the finger if you […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way, People Who Suck

Fruit Loop #1’s Five Stages of Mom Fury

February 15, 2016 By Christine 16 Comments

Fruit Loop #1’s Five Stages of Mom Fury

“Mom, I have something I want to discuss with you.  And I don’t want you to say no.  And I want you to hear me out.  And I want you to keep an open mind, okay?”. With these words, Fruit Loop #1 looked at me from the passenger seat of the car with his hazel […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way, The Fruit Loops Speak Tagged With: mom fury, opinionated fruit loops, parenting

Don’t Ask Me For My Babysitter’s Name. DON’T.

February 9, 2016 By Christine 3 Comments

Don’t Ask Me For My Babysitter’s Name. DON’T.

I’m a giver. I share better than any three year old. Really. Ask my friends. I give advice (almost never unsolicited), I give fabulous presents and I give of my time like nobody’s business (two words: PTA President). If you need me, I’m there for you, no questions asked. And, if you are one of […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way Tagged With: date night, dating, marriage

My Apology: My Tween Can’t Say “I’m Sorry”

February 4, 2016 By Christine 1 Comment

My Apology: My Tween Can’t Say “I’m Sorry”

On a hot summer night last year, you defied me. You begged to be allowed to walk down to an ice cream shop with your younger sister in the small beach town where we were vacationing. “I’m twelve now, Mom,” you pleaded, “almost thirteen. Come on, please?”. After a bit of discussion, your father and […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way, The Keeper On The Mid

The Day I Realized I Shouldn’t Fix My Tween

January 13, 2016 By Christine 6 Comments

The Day I Realized I Shouldn’t Fix My Tween

On that warm summer night, as I caught a glimpse of Fruit Loop #1, I knew. He was standing across the yard, holding a plastic plate filled with summer party food and holding a red plastic cup.  The sun hit his twelve year old hair in just a way that I could see the blonde […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way Tagged With: bullies, mama bear, tweens

Team Toddler or Team Tween?

January 7, 2016 By Christine 4 Comments

Team Toddler or Team Tween?

When you become a parent, there’s just so much you don’t know. SO. MUCH. And, in those first few years, you wander around deliriously tired, chase after little people who break all of your previously nice things and wonder how exactly every item of clothing you own is covered in spit up. You suffer through […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way

Our Parents Had It Easy. And I’m Jealous.

January 5, 2016 By Christine Leave a Comment

Our Parents Had It Easy.  And I’m Jealous.

The other day, I got the dreaded “Your phone storage is almost full” message and realized it was time to clean up my phone. Read: it was time to play “Press Your Luck” over which apps I could keep, how many photos to delete and just exactly how many text messages were necessary. No whammies, […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way Tagged With: back in the day, parenting, what the hell

If You Get One, You Give One

January 4, 2016 By Christine 60 Comments

If You Get One, You Give One

I knew this day would come as I had been warned by those who had gone before me. He’s going to ask someday. She’s going to have questions. You need to get your story straight. You have to be *prepared* because you’ll be caught with your pants down when the Fruit Loops ask about the […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way Tagged With: sex, sex talk

Her Smile Mattered

December 2, 2015 By Christine Leave a Comment

Her Smile Mattered

I met her on a September night in 2008. She had kind eyes and a smile on her small face. I was new at the whole PTA mom thing.  She was a seasoned pro, the experienced committee mom. And she made me feel welcomed at my first PTA meeting.  Included. Over the course of the […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way Tagged With: dying, smiles

Musings From A Sleep Dictator

October 14, 2015 By Christine Leave a Comment

Musings From A Sleep Dictator

I am a member of the Today Show’s Parenting team (I don’t want to brag buuuuuuuuut, I’m a TOP CONTRIBUTOR, thankyouverymuch) and this month, they challenged us to discuss a topic near and dear to my heart:  Sleep Training.  Specifically, they asked us to give tips from our journey to a good night’s sleep.  Because […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way, The Keeper On Today! Tagged With: napping, sleep, sleep deprivation

Mother-In-Law, My Friend

October 11, 2015 By Christine 3 Comments

Mother-In-Law, My Friend

When a group of women get together, inevitably, complaints will start flying. They will lament about their thighs, crow’s feet and grey hair. They will bitch about toddlers who refuse to use the potty and teenagers who roll their eyes. They will go on and on about husbands who can’t get dishes into the dishwasher […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough, Parenting My Way, Uncategorized Tagged With: friends, mother-in-law, mothers

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