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Kindergartners at the preschool reunion

    Recently my niece (who works as a nanny) made me aware that not only do some preschools hold graduation ceremonies, but some also hold reunions for their graduates. Imagine all the catching up among those 5-year-olds! Okay, I’ll imagine for you…   “OMG! You look exactly the same!!” “No, I look better. I wipe my own nose now!”   “Boy, please, those skinny jeans look AMAZE. What’s your secret?” “No diaper butt, no problem! [wink]”   “Wememboh when we wew babies and couldn’t say ouw lettoh ow? “Wight?!? Sewiously.”   “Madison, I almost didn’t recognize… Read More »Kindergartners at the preschool reunion

    Anna Whiston-Donaldson’s “Rare Bird” is an open palm of faith, fortitude, and hope

      Today Anna Whiston-Donaldson’s memoir Rare Bird appears  in bookstores everywhere. Three years ago yesterday, her son Jack went out to play in the rain and never came home.   I wrote, then: “One of ours has lost one of theirs. He was right here—just the other day—and now no more. Children die every day. We know this, and we keep walking our own paths, trying to keep sight of our own children and loved ones, busy with the foraging of our own day. Mothers, fathers, daughters and sons walk all around us, and every day… Read More »Anna Whiston-Donaldson’s “Rare Bird” is an open palm of faith, fortitude, and hope

      Practice humor. Because crying and eating is funny.

        Have you ever tried to cry and eat at the same time? It’s difficult, but possible. Recently I watched a sad internet video, and I cried, while continuing to eat my delicious Oats N’ More directly from the box. Soon I was crying, eating, and also laughing — all while trying to not to choke on my No Brand Oat Bunches. Who stops eating to cry? By chomping away you tell that sadness Okay sadness, you have the exact quotient of sad to give me tears and a lump in my throat, but not enough… Read More »Practice humor. Because crying and eating is funny.

        My privilege is showing. It think it’s probably better that way.

          I feel confident writing humor and publishing it here. I enjoy this luxury– blogging and spearheading LTYM–while conscious of self-employment as a luxury that any manner of life-events could interrupt. My privilege of creative expression stems from stability–at present a life free of major stressors (illness, poverty, for starters, and racism is where this is going) and, historically, a life full of pretty much every imaginable support. Fear has kept me from writing this post–fear of showing my privilege, of saying the wrong thing, of sounding like I know what I’m doing or have something… Read More »My privilege is showing. It think it’s probably better that way.

          I present a book cover, some beautiful photos, and myself as a joey. Voila!

            Some exciting things occurred this week: On Sunday I met an intriguing, innovative guy named Wesley Verhoeve, who creates beautiful things that move people. He interviewed me for his cool project #OneOfManyUSA in which he travels to 12 cities interviewing creative folks. On Monday I revealed the cover of LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER: What she said then, what we’re saying now. I hope you like the tagline, as it took me several iterations. It’s already available for pre-order! Finally, my friend Vikki photo-shopped me into a Kangaroo pouch as a tiny antidote to the overwhelming… Read More »I present a book cover, some beautiful photos, and myself as a joey. Voila!

            #ThrowBackThursday : Humiliated 7 Year Old Ballerinas

              The picture above represents the “before” when I stood, filled with pride, in my first (Chartreuse) tutu, in my first stage make-up, for my first ballet performance.  You can tell I followed instructions about where to place my hands for this photo, and also that my hair did not cooperate for the ballerina bun. What I didn’t know is that I was mere moments from my first directing gig, too. Our enthusiastic and gentle teacher (Meredith, I think?) led us from the high school classroom, down a ramp, and corralled us back stage in the… Read More »#ThrowBackThursday : Humiliated 7 Year Old Ballerinas

              Jewish Mothers,Tripping

                Husband remembers a story about his childhood best friend’s Jewish grandmother; late one night, she called 911 herself, and let the paramedics in– herself– mid-heart attack “because she didn’t want to wake anyone.” My mom once found my Granny wrapped in a blanket shivering in the kitchen in the middle of the night. She refused to let my mom turn on the light, not to mention turn up the heat… “I’m not cold!” Mom turned up the heat and went back to bed. Mom herself took a rather nasty fall the evening before our planned… Read More »Jewish Mothers,Tripping

                My 2014 LTYM Video

                  Shine on, Ann’s Forehead! [If you can’t see the video embed, click here] LTYM’s season includes not only our live-shows in the weeks leading up to Mother’s Day, but also our epic video release when we add hundreds of videos from our shows to our YouTube channel. Thanks to CollegeSavingsChillout.com by T. Rowe Price, LTYM added 400 new videos from 2014!! Check out EVERYBODY FREAKS OUT— their funny children’s-style book for parents–only five bucks and 100% proceeds benefit Junior Achievement USA. Watch the 2014 videos on the Listen To Your Mother YouTube channel. WATCH THE… Read More »My 2014 LTYM Video

                  Preventing the Summer Slide: Save your patience, their braincells, and maybe even money on grad school

                    I’m writing this post on behalf of Camp Invention, as one of their paid ambassadors. The opinions are my own.  The trash-collecting, upcycling, DIY-ing genes are definitely Husband’s. Seriously, he rescued an old moldy life jacket from a park garbage can yesterday to “use the foam.” Like many of you, I have children at home with me this summer; two children of the school-aged persuasion, who no longer fit (comfortably) together in a pack-and-play, gnawing on my password-protected phone while I sob in the shower. Considering I work at home, and they happen to live… Read More »Preventing the Summer Slide: Save your patience, their braincells, and maybe even money on grad school

                    10 Implicit Unspoken Agreements Among Middle-Aged Women Friends

                      1. No one acknowledges The Horrible Sounds in yoga or any other group exercise endeavor. Regardless of how protracted or voluminous, no one flinches except for everyone flinches on the inside–in solidarity. We avert our non-wandering eyes in secret celebration that thank God it wasn’t me today, but yes it totally was me last week at the exact moment the 20-something teacher gave me an assist. The 20-something male teacher. 2. We don’t see you plucking silver hairs in your rear-view mirror and throwing them out the car window at stoplights. No, we do not.… Read More »10 Implicit Unspoken Agreements Among Middle-Aged Women Friends