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I am The Keeper of The Fruit Loops, Manager of the Fecal Roster and the Driver of the People Mover. In other words, I'm a mom.

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27 Reasons Prom Was Epic And Awesome In the 90s

September 1, 2019 By Christine 2 Comments

prom

Recently, I saw a friend’s post about how her son asked his girlfriend to prom and, I’m not going to lie: my husband didn’t go through nearly as much trouble when he asked me to marry him 25 years ago. Gone are the days when you stood by your locker and hoped that the cute […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough Tagged With: High School Daze

“Hootie and The Blowfish” Helped Me Grieve The Loss of My Dad

August 26, 2019 By Christine 2 Comments

Hootie

When I was in college, I fell in love with a guy named Hootie. And yes, back then, country music mega star Darius Rucker was known as Hootie, and yes, I realize that I’m showing my age when I call him Hootie. On any given day in my dorm room circa mid 1990s, the sounds […]

Filed Under: Losing My Dad Tagged With: grief, grieving

The “Golden Girls” Taught Me What I Need To Know About Raising Teens

August 14, 2019 By Christine 1 Comment

Golden Girls

In my house, Saturday night prime time television shows were sacred in our house. My brothers and I would put on our pajamas, make popcorn in the air popper and crowd around on the floor while my parents settled in on the couch. I can still feel my teenaged brothers elbowing me to make room […]

Filed Under: Parenting My Way Tagged With: parenting, teenagers

Five Not So Secret Ways To Convince Your Teen To Communicate

August 4, 2019 By Christine 1 Comment

communicate

It’s an age old trope: teens, by nature, don’t communicate and it’s impossible to get them to open up once they turn 13. You hear rumors from other moms that raising a teen means accepting that he or she will clam up for the entirety their teenage years.  When my kids approached their teen years, I […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough Tagged With: teenagers

The Day I Realized My Teen Needed Me to Help Him With His Mental Health

August 1, 2019 By Christine 4 Comments

mental health

This is a sponsored post. I was compensated by Med-IQ through an educational grant from Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. and Lundbeck to write about depression in college-aged students.   All opinions are my own “I’m exhausted, Mom. I can’t do it all. And all I keep hearing from my teachers is that I’m not committed enough. […]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

If You Don’t Have A Best Friend While Parenting Teens, You Won’t Survive

July 21, 2019 By Christine 1 Comment

best friend

I looked at the text from my best friend and immediately started laughing. “I’m on a college visit and I just want you to know that we are in over our heads. Did you know dorm rooms have granite countertops now?” She proceeded to tell me that she felt like she was living that nightmare […]

Filed Under: Parenting My Way Tagged With: friendship

I’m Just Going To Say It: High School Was Better (and Easier) in the 90s.

July 16, 2019 By Christine 5 Comments

high school

On my way to my bedroom late one night, I saw the familiar sliver of light coming from my son’s room. Burning the midnight oil again, I thought. When I cracked the door open, I found him hunched over his computer, eyes bloodshot and tired, furiously typing on the keyboard. I ruffled his curls and told […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough Tagged With: teenagers

Twenty Years and Two Teens Later, These Are My New Marriage Vows

June 30, 2019 By Christine 5 Comments

Marriage vows

This year, my husband and I will celebrate twenty years of marriage and we’ve had many discussions about how to mark the occasion. Should we take a trip? Should we throw a big party? What is the best way to commemorate the fact that our marriage has outlasted three washing machines and two water heaters? […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough Tagged With: marriage

Hubby And I Disagree About Alcohol And Our Teens And It’s Stressful

June 23, 2019 By Christine 4 Comments

alcohol

When I was fourteen, I attended a cast party after a high school theater production. When I walked into the house in my white Keds (with friendship pins) and my jeans rolled just so, the parents of the hostess directed me to the back patio where the party was being held under the starry spring […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough Tagged With: teens

My Teen Is Dating And I’m Pretty Sure I’m Embarrassing AF

June 9, 2019 By Christine Leave a Comment

Embarrassing

I knew this day would come but I didn’t think it would happen so fast. It seems like just yesterday my little boy was sitting next to me, in overalls and holding a Thomas train, gazing at me with love and affection. The day he promised to marry me made my heart sink because I […]

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

Your First Child Can Make You Feel Like You Are Screwing It All Up

June 2, 2019 By Christine 1 Comment

Screwing up

When the nurse handed me my son after delivery, I panicked. I felt my heart start to race, my hands started to shake and I could feel sweat forming on my forehead.  “Am I holding him the right way? What if I don’t know what he needs? What if I screw him up?” I looked […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough Tagged With: teens

My Teens Have Curfews And Science Says It’s A Good Idea

May 26, 2019 By Christine 3 Comments

Curfew

My son and his friends looked ridiculous as they posed for Homecoming pictures. Though they were all freshly shaven and wearing ties, they were also donning silly white “clout goggles.” Because my son isn’t old enough to drive yet, the boys had gathered at our home so that I could drive them to the dance. […]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Advanced Placement Classes Are Hell And It’s Okay If Your Kid Says NOPE.

May 23, 2019 By Christine 30 Comments

advanced placement

When our kids were small, we moved to a new school district in time for my son to start kindergarten. As I was filling out his new student paperwork, I realized, unexpectedly, that our new district had a different age cut off than our previous district. This meant that my daughter, already enrolled in preschool, […]

Filed Under: Parenting My Way Tagged With: teens

The Day I Realized I Was Too Strict With My Teens Hit Me Hard

May 19, 2019 By Christine 3 Comments

As I dug around in my purse, looking for my keys, I yelled, “Let’s go! We are going to be late!” at the kitchen ceiling. Trying to herd two teenagers out the door to a doctor’s appointment on a day off from school is no easy task. I waited for the familiar sound of stomping […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough Tagged With: teenagers

The 90s Were The Very Best College Years Ever And I Loved Every Minute

May 15, 2019 By Christine 3 Comments

Flannel shirts and grunge.

Recently, my college roommates and I realized we moved into college 25 years ago. As we prepare to send our own kids off to college and find ourselves on college tours and navigating intricate financial aid forms, we’ve all agreed that college has become a lot more complicated than when we mailed our college applications. […]

Filed Under: Parenting My Way Tagged With: 90s

When Cancer Comes To Your Family, It’s Hard To Remember All The Things

May 6, 2019 By Christine Leave a Comment

Cancer Chemotherapy treatment

This is a sponsored post. I was compensated by Med-IQ through educational grants from AbbVie, Astellas, and Genentech to write about communicating symptoms and treatment side effects with the healthcare team. All opinions are my own. My father and I had a long history of arguing. Both stubborn to a fault, we would spar over […]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: cancer, grief

I’m Trying Not To Push My Teens Into The Activities I Loved in High School

April 7, 2019 By Christine 1 Comment

activities

When I dropped my daughter off at cross-country practice, I paused to watch the high school marching band rehearse. As I watched the kids play their instruments and the color guard practice their routines, I was instantly transported to a time when I, too, twirled a flag in front of a frenzied Friday night crowd. […]

Filed Under: Parenting My Way Tagged With: high school, High School Daze, teens

Here’s How To Send Your Son To A High School Dance In 50 Easy Steps

March 31, 2019 By Christine 2 Comments

high school dance

Now that your kid is in high school, I hate to break it to you: gone are the simple days when you drop your child off at an elementary event run by friends of yours on the PTA. Back then, you told your kid to grab his shoes and $2 and dropped him off at […]

Filed Under: Parenting Is Hard Enough Tagged With: high school, High School Daze, prom, teens

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