A long time ago, in a different version of myself, I was a high school history teacher. I taught a host of social studies subjects, including every iteration of World History possible. I quit teaching when the combination of children/pay/allowable sick leave failed to provide me with a sustainable job. Recently, however, I had the … Continue reading I Spent Two Months Teaching High School and All Our Teenagers are Broken: Part 1
Category: family
31 Days to a Closer F(r)amily
What does it mean to be close to someone? Is it a person with whom you share secrets? The person who makes you smile the most? The person you'd call for bail money? And what role does proximity play? We tend to feel close to the people we see the most, whether or not that's … Continue reading 31 Days to a Closer F(r)amily
Closely, Simply, Freely: Keys to Living a More Meaningful Life
Close. Simple. Free. Those were the words that my husband Jay and I were drawn to three years ago while we assessed and reassessed the comfortable life we were living in the suburbs of Atlanta. We had a decent household income, four kids, a big house, and a neighborhood with great schools. It didn't get … Continue reading Closely, Simply, Freely: Keys to Living a More Meaningful Life
The Invisible Mom: Mother’s Day Aftermath
Mother's Day was this past Sunday and I had an absolutely lovely day. My daughter helped my husband make turkey bacon for breakfast. We went to church. I got to sit alone and watch TV while my family picked up lunch AND dessert from Whole Foods. They had gifts and cards and flowers and we … Continue reading The Invisible Mom: Mother’s Day Aftermath
Why Happy Kids Aren’t My Goal
I originally wrote this blog a little over two years ago, before I had a kid in middle school. Before we sold our spacious house and bought one where we are always on top of each other. Before we began to travel intentionally as a family. Before we changed up our kids' schooling. This week, … Continue reading Why Happy Kids Aren’t My Goal
The Language of Motherhood
This week I said the phrase "If you kick that guitar one more time I'm going to take away your shoes AND your monkey!!" I said this because my minivan broke down and the Honda dealership very kindly gave me an Accord to drive in the meantime. It was a bit smaller than my Odyssey … Continue reading The Language of Motherhood
I’m so Embarrassed
Somewhere is the fine line between living authentically, with truth and honesty as hallmarks of your character...and detailed oversharing. Oversharing is where your revelations are met with something other than, "oh, thank you for being brave and sharing what we're all thinking." Oversharing gets awkward smiles and nods while the other person makes non-committal noises … Continue reading I’m so Embarrassed
In Defense of Southern Snows
It snowed in Atlanta last night. Ish. It was snowy...ish. But our news outlets talked about it for three days straight and, I kid you not, had continuous coverage of the "Winter Weather Event" from 9pm until 6am. I didn't know about any other world events and I was actually watching the news. This is … Continue reading In Defense of Southern Snows
10 Ways to Waste Less Time on a Guy You’ll Never Marry (advice for my single friends)
Jay and me taking our own Easter pic because kids suckSummer is approaching and that means it’s time for my anniversary, which obviously makes me grateful for making a really good choice 17 years ago. And it’s wedding season for all my friends in their 20s and that makes me think about that time in … Continue reading 10 Ways to Waste Less Time on a Guy You’ll Never Marry (advice for my single friends)
50 States Trip #2: Mid-Atlantic States
Wanna make your minivan smell unique? Drive around with your family of 6 for a week or so visiting whichever states are within your reach in the time allotted. Our family has achieved this goal and then some. The minivan will never be the same. We recently knocked off 5 more states and Washington, D.C. … Continue reading 50 States Trip #2: Mid-Atlantic States