November
by Maggie Lamond Simone
Trick or Truth
by Wendy Sue Noah
It’s Halloween time! And, oh, how my kids love this holiday. It is a time for them to be as creative as possible with their costumes, have fun surprising people (who is really behind that costume?) and being scared at our town’s annual haunted house.
Though us adults get dressed up sometimes, it is mostly a kid- holiday. In some ways, more significantly, adults celebrate the concept of Halloween year-round. What do I mean by that? […]
The Chicken Back Syndrome
by Ann Sheybani
When did we women decide that everyone else should come first? Who proclaimed it our job to guarantee the pleasure of others and settle for whatever crumbs fall off their plates?
I’ve come to call this compulsion the Chicken Back Syndrome: preparing a chicken dinner, encouraging our husbands and children to take the best pieces—the breast, thighs and legs—and insisting that we actually like the chicken back best. Somehow, without question, everyone believes we’re just crazy enough to prefer bones and gristle. After awhile, we even convince ourselves that those tiny scraps of meat buried between the ribs are worth the effort. […]
Not Feeling My Age
by Andrea Lynn
Both my girls are in school now – preschool and kindergarten – and so that means a lot of birthday parties. We’re doing the tour of local play places and bounce houses and community centers with rooms to rent, and so every weekend it seems I’m on the sidelines with my fellow parents, making small talk while the kids race around, high on birthday cake or soon to be. […]
I Do Not Own My Own Life Anymore (Commentary by Mr. Mom)
by Marc Parsont
I do not own my life anymore. I drive to soccer. I drive to karate. I drive to school. I drive to the doctor’s office—frequently. I drive to fix the cars that drive the kids to soccer, karate, ballet and yoga.
I drive to the grocery store. I drive to the grocery store. I drive to the grocery store again.
I am being driven insane. […]
Becoming a Mother: A Journey of Healing
by Amy Wright Glenn
What does it mean to heal the heart?
Take 9 minutes to learn about my journey to motherhood, a journey of potent and healing love. For me, becoming a mother entailed a true healing from a painful “mother wound.”
May my story inspire you to reflect upon the transformative power of love.
Yes, You Can
by Sophie Walker
To begin this article with a confession: when it comes to your child, I don’t know what I’m talking about.
Because I have written a book about my child, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, I am often asked to suggest advice to parents in similar situations. And I’m always really happy to do so because I know from experience how hard it can be to find the right kind of support. […]
Questions
by Austin Wimberly
As a parent, I am used to my children asking questions. Thankfully, most of the ones they ask are easily answered. What’s for dessert? Usually ice cream. Can I stay up just a little longer? Usually no. What is the capital of Wyoming? Always Cheyenne.
But there are some questions that my children ask that require more thought. Why is a negative times a negative a positive? How do I know I’m really me? Why are flowers pretty? And then there are questions that have no answer. It is this last kind of question that has been with my family for a decade. […]
If This Is October, Then It Must Be…
by Maggie Lamond Simone
Well, kids, I’m here to report that we’re lifting the lid on “Toilet Repair Month.” I know, I know, I’m sort of down in the dumps about it too; just when you think you could overflow with excitement about summer, there it goes, swirling away. May it rust – er, rest – in peace.
Yep, October received that very special designation by – come on, now, be creative here – yes! Manufacturers of toilet parts! They’ve finally conceded what I’ve always recognized as an epidemic problem, i.e. the reckless abandon with which people flush other people’s toilets during the Halloween season. It was just a matter of time, really. […]
New Midlife Mothers Needed
by John Simmons
Julia, Marina, Sarah reunion
Next to my wife, I have a favorite midlife mother. We don’t share a language, religion, political views or even a continent. The things we have in common are our daughters, who were once sisters-of-circumstance at the Partizansk Children’s Home. Though we have only spoken on a couple of occasions, Natalia and I consider each other to be true friends; friends who can relate to a long and rocky road that we would travel again in a heartbeat. […]