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...

I don’t mind telling everyone that I was a very happy, but very freaked out expectant mother during my first pregnancy.  I always knew I wanted kids, and so did Jim, so having a baby was a shared dream for both.  But somehow in my dreams, I always pictured “kids” – not babies...

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...

I do not have children, but I have had the privilege of being welcomed into several families as Miss Leanne, nanny and babysitter extraordinaire. My most recent adventure had me living for a month in Puerto Rico with friends who recently moved from Frisco to the San Juan area. During my time here,...

My husband and I are prolific list-makers. Take our to-do lists, for example. His is a 200-line Excel spreadsheet color-coded by “type” of to-do and ordered by priority and updated daily, meaning some items stay on there for a year or longer (case in point: “sell jet ski’s”...

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...

I recently read a fascinating article in one of my favorite magazines, Wondertime (which, by the way, is unfortunately also owned by Disney – who, like Wal-Mart, will own the world one day – if they don’t already), that a mom wrote about her life with a gifted son. In the sidebar,...