Our son Jack has become a bedtime stall artist on the grandest scale. I am thankful for the three years of (relatively) easy bedtimes we’ve had with Jack, don’t get me wrong.  Other than two short but tramatic periods – when we had to let him cry it out to learn to soothe himself to...

Every year it seems, the retail world starts pushing Christmas earlier and earlier.  This year, for instance, the Snow Globes at Willow Bend Mall in Plano (recreating the magic of Polar Express), kicked off on November 7.  While I love the display, I have to ask….really?!? On November 7 in Texas,...

Your kids want to get in on the pumpkin decorating fun, but handling carving tools is a no-go.  So, what are your options?  Here are a few ideas. FIRST STEP - no matter what decorating option you use, clean the pumpkin using a baby wipe – NOT getting the pumpkin really wet or it is more likely...

We’ve all seen it.  The excited announcement that your 3-year-old will “Do it myself”….followed by a temper tantrum caused by frustration of not being able to. I don’t know that instilling independence now will keep you from getting a drink or making sandwiches for your...

We’re blushing. Our inexperience in the world of fall season sports was revealed when we chose the topic for last week: What’s the best way to set your kid up in fall sports? You seasoned “soccer Moms” out there must have thought – ha ha! You’re asking this question...

Yesterday was Jim’s birthday. He’d kill me if I told you how old, so let’s just say: he’s older than me. We decided to splurge and take the kids to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner before coming home to have homemade birthday cake (which almost-three-year-old Jack helped make….it...

Life with toddlers. It’s so simple, really. For them. Their world is pretty much black and white. They have no hidden agendas (or at least ones so hidden that an adult can’t pretty easily figure them out). They have two speeds: high gear (for running on the playground and eating birthday...

This was a B.W. (Big Weekend) in the Cooksey household. Finally, after over a year, Jack started sleeping in his big-boy bed. Yes, it took over a year. From the battlefield, here are some lessons learned the hard way on the transition process. These actually apply to any difficult transition, I’ve...