Life
Downed tree shakes up family — especially Merlin
Merlin is afraid of our backyard. He was never the bravest poodle to begin with, but now he’s…
Life
The Tooth Fairy is full of excuses
Last night the Easter Bunny hopped all over town and deposited plastic eggs filled with cavity-inducing crap. In…
Life
A humbling escape, flush with shame
The most beautiful view in Edmonds is from the women’s restroom on the third floor of the Frances…
Life
Hogwarts’ sorting hat was on to something
If the world was a more magical place, you could send your children off to Hogwarts School of…
Life
Stomach flu has upside: weight loss
You know you’re sick when the bathroom floor seems like the best place to sleep. That’s exactly where…
Life
A moment of well-deserved clarity, parents
As a parent, I need more than chocolate and caffeine to keep “adulting.” I also need encouragement. I…
Life
What comes to mind when the gutters are dirty
This Valentine’s Day when I stare at my husband my knees go weak. My heart beats hard and…
Life
Trips to laundromat prompt new appreciation of old front-loader
I own a $1,000 piece of junk called a front-loader washing machine. It’s supposed to be quiet, energy…
Life
Moms need news, and it needs to be accurate, local
#MomsNeedNews isn’t a famous hashtag, but it should be. There are so many things to keep track of…
Life
Waiting for book to come out is like 3-year pregnancy
Imagine being pregnant for three years. You have a widget on your phone counting the days to a…
Life
The Christmas surprise that keeps on giving
Somehow between “Leave it To Beaver” and “Modern Family” most of us developed this crazy notion that the…
Life
Kids, meet the person behind the Mommy
How well do your children know you? If they sifted through a stack of biographies with the names…
Life
Merlin pulls disappearing act but Mom’s the one who’s drawing looks
Being embarrassed by your kids is a joy that every parent experiences at an inopportune moment. But being…
Life
Braving the gym at every age and ability level
A few months ago I did something that scared the crap out of me: I joined a gym.
Life
Those Christmas-card-picture families are totally faking it
Have you heard the saying “Don’t judge your inside by somebody else’s outside?” It means that just because…
Life
Make every step count, even while you’re shopping
The malls are packed with eager shoppers searching for the perfect holiday gift. I am one of them,…
Life
The only magic this Elf has is getting suckers to buy him
I was cornered by a group of 10 6-year-olds in identical blue Girl Scout uniforms.
Life
Dyslexia is more common than you know
When I was in teacher credentialing school I received barely any instruction about dyslexia. This is tragic because…
Life
Teaching children a joy that lasts longer than a calorie buzz
I want to teach my kids that the holidays are about more than an excuse to pig out.…