In our house children’s books come and go at a brisk pace. Brought in by the pound from our son’s school library, they get read and shipped back via his backpack in a matter of days. He reads a lot. I should be proud. But what kind of books is he reading? And, given...
Read more →If we’re honest with ourselves, most of us will admit that there are experiences in our childhood we would like to forget. Trouble is that we can’t. These events have marked us for the rest of our lives. For me it was something that happened in sixth grade. As I was sitting on a...
Read more →Your eyes are barely open and your hair is dripping wet from the shower. You haven’t had a chance to drink your morning coffee yet. But you already know your schedule for the day and you know what to expect at work based on the emails you’d already read. You know who’d texted you...
Read more →“Why do the three names on the door of the dentist’s office have the same last name?” my youngest asked. ”They come from one family,” I responded. “At first, their father worked alone and when his sons became dentists, he invited them to join him. When he retired, they took over the business...
Read more →“Mommy is half of so many things!” interrupted my son as I chatted with someone I’ve just met. Obviously, the question was, “So, what do you do?” My conversation partner, smitten by my kid’s social skills, forgot to raise an eyebrow. The topic quickly turned to: “Oh what a great boy you’ve got!” “Thank you, my sweet child”,...
Read more →The other day as I scrolled through my facebook feed, I noticed a beautiful picture of a first-time mother gazing at her precious baby. The love on her face was immense; I could imagine the hopes and dreams she had for her tiny bundle. She looked happy and at peace. The fact that there...
Read more →Today I am participating in the “Around the Bonfire” series on http://www.kludgymom.com/ — a blog by a brilliant, witty, and honest writer, Gigi Ross. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s no surprise what’s on my mind. Please come along with me to visit Gigi and to read exactly what I think about...
Read more →She lived across the street and our parents thought it was better for young girls to walk to school together. And that we did, every day for the next three years of our lives. We were inseparable. Then one day my family left Ukraine and it became harder to be close. We wrote on...
Read more →It’s homework time. We try to guide our children through this daily exercise, helping them to retain the information they’ve learned in class. We also try not to have a nervous breakdown in the process or drink excessively as a result. That’s easier said than done. Homework woes are different for everyone. Some children struggle with...
Read more →We started the day in good spirits. It was supposed to be a typical final day of the year filled with several “must do” errands. My husband promised our boys to take them skiing and there was no way some unexpected snowflakes were going to stand in their way. Everyone was very excited to...
Read more →Next week will mark our first bloggerversary. We’ve been writing to you for a year. This was supposed to be a happy occasion and this post was supposed to have a lighthearted tone to it. It was going to mention the cute moments Valerie and I have shared while creating and moderating conversations around our birthing...
Read more →It’s “writing” time when the phone rings–the noise interrupts feverish keyboard clicking and sends Olga up from her chair with surprise. “Must be Valerie”, she thinks, and hits the speaker button without looking at the display. V: How’s the post coming? O: Fabulous, just wish more people would read this stuff. V: There is...
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