Tales from a Mid-Lifer

  • The Difference in One Year THEN and The Difference in One Year NOW…

    The Difference in One Year THEN and The Difference in One Year NOW…

    Between birth and one year of age, my kids: Rolled over, crawled, pulled up and walked by 9 months Ate solid food Said all family names Eventually spoke in choppy sentences Followed book pages with their eyes and hands Always toddled toward Mama and Dada. Between 16 and 17 years of…

  • Wordless Wednesday – Sunset Trees

  • Stuff Mom’s don’t want to say out loud. Sometimes we do, but many times we don’t… :)

    Well, our pre-Mom lives certainly didn’t always look like the photo to the left, and our post-Mom lives certainly don’t always look like the photo to the right. But, wow, sometimes it does get crazy, right?! (Photo courtesy momtastic.com.) Stuff Moms sometimes say out loud, but more often, we don’t: Is…

  • Wordless Wednesday…With a Few Words

  • Wordless Wednesday Black & White

     Soon life will be sprouting from these barren trees. Hoping for an early spring this year.

  • Does Violence Really Make Games More “Fun”?

    A significant number of my 19-28 year old male college students would give a resounding “yes!” to that question. I asked an informal research question in one of my classes, asking the guys if their Xbox violent games were more “fun” when they contain more violence, more killing and more…

  • Wordless Wednesday – At the Sea

  • Annul a 20-year marriage with 7 kids?

    Throwback Thursday 5/26/2013 I ran into an old friend of my Mom’s a few weeks ago at the grocery store.  This woman’s husband left her 15+ years ago with 7 young children.  He left her for a younger woman and his relationship with the kids is estranged at best. Embracing…

  • We’re Taking Bad Manners to a Whole New Level

    Remember when we used to think that it was rude if someone didn’t RSVP to a party but showed up anyway? Maybe more of an etiquette issue, but remember when your grandmother was aghast in the 1990s when people started wearing jeans to church on Sundays? How about a few…

  • Wordless Wednesday…With Frigid Words

    At -11 degrees F, it’s truly miraculous that these beautiful trees experience rebirth every spring.

  • You’re More Than Your Looks, My Daughter, Friend, Sister…

    (Photo:aliexpress.com) One of my daughters is a major fashionista. From the moment we said “yes” to makeup at 13, she wore it daily. Now 19, her wardrobe far surpasses anyone else in the house. I’m fine with it except for the now and then when she begins focusing too much…

  • Paying for Other’s Bad Behavior Is Making Me a Little Cranky

    Now in my mid 40’s, I’ve officially experienced enough of life where paying (in time or money) for other people’s bad behavior, no-show tendencies, and last-minute procrastination is making me cranky. Over my adult life, when I or my kids have received unfair treatment, I’ve definitely handled it firmly, but…