When Moms Fail

When his teacher began the unit, I checked in with my son after school, keeping it light. I wanted to be the mom who talked about sex so often and so nonchalantly that it wouldn’t become taboo.

Teach your kids to ski. Trust me.

I’m one of those frenetic mamas who packs up four sets of skis, boots, and poles almost every weekend so my family can hit the slopes. No, I don’t have a ski condo or a second home in the Rockies. I didn’t grow up ski-racing and I never had top of the line equipment. I’m

Happy New… Blah.

Instead of celebrating this new year in foam-party fashion, I present THE 2020 FAUCI RONA AWARDS for exemplary leadership when the world is on fire.

Running with Dad

My father, who just turned 70, grabs the leash and we trot toward High Drive, only a few blocks from my house in south Spokane. This run will be harder than my solo jogs down Manito Boulevard because my dad runs the bluff, the trails, to be nicer to his feet, the scariest feet I have ever seen.

Smoky Skies and Sweet Treats

I confess— I’m not quite ready to post anything of substance, but I have been revising, editing, and, most, recently, BAKING. When I swirl about the house, emailing teachers, coworkers, bankers, picking up clothes and wrappers (so many wrappers) wondering what task to conquer next, I bake, like overly-ambitious-Food-Network-kind-of-bake

5 Lessons of Isolation

A wiped schedule is freeing. On a typical morning, I check my iphone calendar for post-work activities which involve 2-6 pick-ups and drop-offs for each family member. Swim at 3:15pm. Basketball at 4:30pm. Pick up friend from Express and take boys to soccer 6pm. Book Club 6:30. Remember talent show practice early next morning. However,

A Lesson in Letter Writing

Here’s an easy home-school writing lesson: Snail Mail is the Best! Parents, homeschooling in the best of circumstances is hard. Toss in a pandemic, an economic upset, and, (at least where I live), terrible weather, and we may all be drinking screwdrivers in our coffee mugs by noon. As someone who teaches for a living,

Book Spotlight

Showcasing Between MOM and ME, a Mother Son Journal, written by Katie Clemons Last year, my oldest son turned eight and with it came a Pokemon obsession, a Beanie Boo collection, and an alarming moodiness that reminded me of my adolescence. In what felt like an overnight shift, my upbeat boy with the motor mouth

5 Creative Activities for Short Attention Spans

Keep your children busy in a DIY maker-space so you can get some work done! As a Drama major, I have a flair for the arts, so when I became a parent, I looked forward to revisiting my creative self. My oldest son was three when I set up his first painting station. I stretched

Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Get the Flu during a Pandemic

Disclaimer: I am not an authority on pandemic protocol. I’m just a mama with a sick kid. “We’re closing the college for finals week,” the university emails read. “Stay home if you’re sick, tell your students to stay home, and operate online as needed.” Okay. Then the emails from the K-12 schools start coming in,