Writer, Teacher, Accountability Coach
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My mom died yesterday. It wasn’t completely unexpected. She’s had health issues for a long time, in and out of the hospital frequently. She fell a few weeks ago at home, arrested in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, and never regained consciousness. So, I’ve had weeks to “process” and “prepare.” Mom and …
A few years ago, I self-published a book: How to Be a Good Mom (Or at Least Not an Epic Failure). It was meant to be sort of tongue-in-cheek, a funny take on my experience raising three kids. In it, I set out the 5 “rules” of parenting (or being a “good mom”): Don’t beat …
I had planned on blogging about something else this week. But then a conversation with one of the teenagers brought this phrase to mind: “Some teachers are bad.” Of course, when I think of that phrase, I hear it (in my head) in Cate Blanchett’s voice from Hanna – just how she says the line, …
#iwillpunchthefirstpersonwhosaysillmissthis “I will punch the first person who says I’ll miss this.†I saw that hashtag on a Facebook post yesterday and literally laughed out loud. The poster, you may have guessed, was a mom at her wit’s end. She’d taken to Facebook to vent about what we all face as moms – the constant …
I’ve been really struggling this week with what to post. Basically, I’m censoring myself because a lot of what I want to talk about isn’t pretty. I’m talking toxic people, unsettling world events, and other such depressing stuff. So, until I have something more cheerful to share or am ready to stop biting my own …
This past Sunday I was talking to a friend at church. It started out as a normal conversation about the funny things our kids do/say and how we know we’re so blessed but we’re also so tired. I have this thing I do, without realizing at the time that I’m doing it – all my …
If you’re even a semi-regular follower of this not-so-regular blog, then you know that I published a book a few years back. That book offered 5 rules, in a bit of a tongue-and-cheek sort of way, for being a good mom. The 5 rules: Rule #1: Don’t beat yourself up (even when you’re certain you …
It’s fun, easy, and doesn’t require any special supplies – seriously, just grab some paper, a pen/pencil, and any old envelope. Stash that envelope in a safe place (and one you’ll remember later). Then wait for the hilarity to ensue. On December 31, 2013, we’d been in the car for hours that felt like days. …
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Book Birthday 2018 Swag Bag Giveaway celebrating the 1st birthday (or 1-year anniversary of the publication of my book, How to Be a Good Mom (Or at Least Not an Epic Failure). The winner, selected at random through Rafflecopter, is … a Rafflecopter giveaway Kathy wins a paperback …
Let’s say life is like a boxing match, and last week nearly TKO’ed me. Actually, it felt more like a cage match from which I couldn’t escape – so I clung to the sides like Spider-Man and waited for the bell. Things started out just fine, albeit a little more hectic than usual. On Friday …
Oh, what a wonderful word that is! I’ve spent this week up to my eyeballs getting everything ready to have my book published. Â The soon-to-be-10yo is gone to camp, and all this attention to detail has served to distract me from missing him unbearably. The book is ready to go now (and thankfully, Wonder Boy …
Continuing with our #dcchristmas trip … The Smithsonian Institution maintains 19 museums and galleries, plus the National Zoo, in the DC area. Thus, we knew before we even arrived that we’d barely make a dent in that number. The newly-opened Museum of African-American History and Culture was operating on a ticketing system while we were …
The holiday season that ends one year and ushers in another is often a time of tradition. I think most people would say they have some sort of Christmas tradition, whether it be a big feast and fellowship with family and friends or something smaller, like marathon watching A Christmas Story or It’s a Wonderful …
I’ve been working on what I call the “blog book†a lot lately. It’s the “parenting book†I’m writing, using a lot of stories I’ve blogged about before. So, pretty much out of necessity, there’s been a lot of looking back on old posts and a little uncontrollable nostalgia. Then, this morning, one of those …
Remember that saying about best laid plans? I feel like this is the story of my life. I recently made a decision (much like flipping a coin but it took a lot of debating in my head) as to which writing project I was going to focus on. See, my problem isn’t lack of ideas …