We are buckled up on an Alaska Airlines flight scheduled from Oklahoma City to Seattle. It’s just my husband, Mark, and me. Our two teenage boys are home alone and have called and texted us at least 300 times since our departure 48 hours ago. I’m deathly ill with a head cold and sinus infection,…
“Mom, he’s got a gun!” I hear my 17-year-old son, Levi, scream from the den where he’s doing his homework. I race to him faster than a cheetah pursuing a wildebeest. When I get to the den, Levi’s sitting on the couch, his computer open on his lap, the television blasting. My 14-year-old son, Joe,…
Full disclosure: I was never a Girl Scout. I will admit to a short stint as a Brownie. But I really couldn’t stand how bossy Angelise Haralumbus was, and since her mom was the troop leader, I gave it up pretty quickly. Plus, honestly, I wasn’t into the regalia. Brown just isn’t my color. But…
I am the opposite of a creature of habit. I never buy the same laundry detergent twice. I switch breakfast cereals each time I replenish my supply. I have never repeated the same nail polish color within a two-month time span. But there is one thing in this world about which I am completely consistent:…
Have you noticed your teen compulsively taking hot showers or baths lately? Has he been complaining of abdominal pain, nausea, or unexplainable vomiting? Well, there’s a new syndrome in town and it’s hard to recognize and diagnose, and maybe even harder to treat. As marijuana legalization spreads across the country, doctors are noticing an increase…
When your life has been a sitcom since you were 15 years old, it’s hard to discern the dumbest thing you’ve ever done. But alas, I think I can safely say that today, I have definitely mastered the art of the idiocy. Black Friday. Ha! That’s funnier than you’d think. Just wait. I decided to…
I moved to Phoenix in 1999. It took me a while to find my place, connect with like-minded people, and tap into a thriving artistic community. I have to admit, at first I felt lost and alone. The first person I met who gave me hope that I could actually live and be happy in…
I’m sitting in a beautiful spot in the pristine, upscale neighborhood of Kirkland, WA, right on the shore of Lake Washington. The water is gently lapping at my feet. It’s a beautiful day. The ducks are splashing about, and a cadre of adorable young children race by me and charge into the water happily. I…
Just when you thought parenting couldn’t get any more confusing, a researcher challenges a begetter belief to be as conventional as chocolate cake. Lately, it’s harder and harder to be a parent. A March study in the journal Pediatrics proffered that the long-term cognitive benefits of breastfeeding were negligible to non-existent. This past February, at…
I admit it. I’m an infomercial addict. It started when I was 10 and pooled all of my savings to buy an album set called “Easy Listening” that included “Brandy” by Looking Glass and “The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding. After weeks of anticipation, my beloved album set arrived, scratched and busted up…
