Dancing in the Rain
There’s no better feeling than when he looks at me and smiles that smile. His whole face lights up, his eyes sparkle, joyful. Our dance is synced, our rhythm steady. To experience the lilt in his laugh...
View ArticleI Don’t Know Who Needs to Hear This, but We’re All F*cking Up
I’m in this weird stage of parenting where my kids physically need me less, but they’re basically emotional dumpster fires that I have to manage or the whole town will be ablaze. My ten-year-old has...
View ArticleHow I Met Your…Father
Can I be honest with you? I’m feeling exceptionally stabby today. I’ve taken just about all I can from people, so I’m rage-petting my dog and retreating to my safe space: writing. Adults, in...
View ArticleI’m Sorry…You Did WHAT?!
When my now 10-year-old son was in preschool, #HusbandWTF and I had many a debate regarding when the child would start kindergarten. As a late July birthday boy, I was on team Red-shirt, but my husband...
View ArticleCheck Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself
I should be walking my dog right now. She’s sitting at my feet, imploring me with those sweet brown eyes to get up! let’s go! grab that leash! But I’m avoiding eye contact with her because I’ve got...
View ArticleDump Out
When you’re the rock, it can feel like you don’t matter. Your feelings, your day, your circumstance don’t matter. Because they’re not the worst, they’re insignificant. If you express frustration, don’t...
View ArticleThey Took My Uterus & I Feel Great!
This is the third and final post about the ongoing feud with my uterus. If you’ve struggled with heavy periods, horrible cramps, ablation-related issues, or the finality of a hysterectomy, read on. If...
View ArticleSergeant Stephanie Reporting for Duty…with a Smile
I’d like to please share my most recent existential (possibly PMS-related) crisis with you. Recently, I had a thought I’m willing to bet most mothers have had: all I do is nag. If it weren’t for us,...
View ArticleBunker Reports: Day 1 is in the Books!
Bunker Reports: Day 1 of COVID-19 Quarantine On Friday, March 13th (I see you, Universe), we learned schools would close across the state of Pennsylvania for the next two weeks as to control the spread...
View ArticleBunker Reports: Day 9. I Think.
Well. That took a turn. Before my otherwise sunny disposition was replaced with panic and claustrophobia, we sailed through our first quarantined weekend, sprinkling kindness by writing chalk messages...
View ArticleScenes from Solitude…Take 87
There’s been so much togetherness (and zero me-time) here at my house! With three young kids, a dog who doesn’t believe in personal space, and a husband whose love language is alwaysthisclose, it has...
View ArticleLaundry Piles Up No Matter What & Other Things I’ve Learned After 7 Weeks of...
Oh, hello! Welcome to the fifty-sixth day of Maybruary! It has been seven weeks since we’ve been in quarantine and I now completely understand how solitary confinement can turn even the most hardened...
View ArticleI Forgot How Hard It Is Being a Teenager
This post is sponsored by The Allstate Foundation. All opinions are my own. This November ushers in my 40th year on the planet. When I recall some of my best times, those beloved teenage years...
View ArticleAntagonists, Shutty Town, & Permission: Lessons Learned
Oh, hello! As with my beauty routine, I stepped away from writing months ago. Everything felt so hard. Now I’ve got a dead blog and a bunch of grey hair, but at least I’m feeling the urge to create...
View ArticleDance Like Nobody…at This Parade is Watching
My six-year-old is painfully shy. She prefers to avoid eye contact at all costs and believes a smile is earned, not owed. Even here at home, she’s a stage 5 clinger, requiring constant physical...
View Article5 Things I Hope We Can Salvage in Post-Trump America
To celebrate my 40th birthday, my husband surprised me with a long weekend away in a cabin located in the literal middle of nowhere. Any other weekend, I would have been ecstatic to unplug, but this...
View ArticleHey Parents, Let’s Try Less Fixing & More Listening
Letting our kids flounder and fail is a hard but necessary part of parenting. As a teacher, I’ve encountered my fair share of “fixers:” parents who want to save their child from the fight. Of course...
View ArticleBefore Freaking the Freak Out on Your Kid’s Teacher, Consider These 5 Things…
A weird thing happened at the beginning of the pandemic. If only for a brief moment in time, it seemed like the rest of the world appreciated teachers. Parents almost–DARE I SAY!–respected us! But, as...
View ArticleI’m Sorry, You Make How Much for Doing WHAT?!
Sometimes, the things I write are published on Bored Teachers. Like this piece, 5 unique ways teachers can earn PD hours. Other times, though, the things I write are too…what? Controversial?...
View Article7 Examples of Where Natural Consequences are Missing in Schools
There is a natural consequence for every action. Like, if I wear sunscreen, my chances of getting skin cancer decrease. YAY FOR ME! On the flip side, if I eat Big Macs every day, I’m gonna need leggier...
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