Pushing on a Rope
parenting a teen
My own elf — not on the shelf
Had my own Christmas miracle today: Catherine jumped in to help with our last-minute preparations. She rolled out of bed before noon, helped make the gravy for Tuesday’s stuffed shells, emptied the garbage, made up a couple of plates of cookies, and found time between text messages to put away some of the stuff that … Continue reading
Under a blanket of white
Two weeks before Thanksgiving and already there’s snow here in southwestern Connecticut — a freak winter storm just 10 days after a devastating hurricane. Mother Nature must really have her knickers in a twist. As a rule, I like the snow — certainly better than the heat of summer. This makes me odd, I know, … Continue reading
Watching my disappearing act
I’m becoming irrelevant. It began happening years ago, and slowly, but surely, it’s picked up speed. I’m feeling a little like the Cheshire Cat, except instead of watching me dissolve into a grin, you’ll soon find an empty wallet where I used to be. Years ago, the letting go was cause for a mother’s celebration: … Continue reading
Oh crap! I blinked
I’ve always been a little smug about all that unsolicited parenting advice. Everyone warned me — sometimes more than once — that time would speed by, that Catherine would be all grown up before I knew it and I’d better pay attention. Yeah, yeah, I thought. Don’t waste your breath, because I will never miss … Continue reading
Time to act my age
You know how kids say the darndest, cutest things? Teenagers don’t. We’re going to a dinner dance Friday night to support breast cancer research and I need to wear something pink (natch). Casting around in my mind for options, I remembered a cute pale-pink sheath dress Catherine bought a while back for a party. At … Continue reading
Sweet rewards when I least expected them
Parents have moments and MOMENTS. Some send us running for cover, others keep us grinning for hours. God knows we’ve had our MOMENTS with Catherine — the supermarket tantrum over a hot-pink rubber ball I wouldn’t buy, the testing of illicit words, the time she waited until my back was turned and then hit me … Continue reading
When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true
How lucky I was last night: Basil called as the GHS chorus began its medleys of Disney tunes for the park visitors last night and held the phone up so I could hear, too. Even through the crappy phone connection, they sounded terrific threading their way through the first, a 20-minute series of classics — … Continue reading
Pushing on a Rope 