Happy hiker reaching the top of a mountain and standing with arms up watching the sunset

I find myself in shock every time I hear of someone I know, someone my age, passing away. Death doesn’t feel like something someone my age has to consider. I feel saddened and angry, as though they have been robbed of some of the best years of their lives. Every time I see an obituary for someone I once knew, I find myself wondering if they were happy with the life they lived. I wonder if they would have had regrets or had wishes of a different life. I wonder about the void they are leaving in this world. I wonder about the people they leave behind and what those people would say about them.

img_5365smBaked raspberry donuts paired with an awesome story sounds like a fun afternoon to me! I am such a fan of Laura Numeroff books. IF YOU GIVE A DOG A DONUT is written in the irresistible tradition of the “If You Give…” series. The boy in the story gives the dog a donut which leads him into asking for some apple juice. When he asks for more and there isn’t any, he wants to make his own. The apple reminds him of a baseball, so of course he wants to play! One thing leads to another, and much like motherhood, the list of his needs continues on and on until the story comes full circle (and the little boy is exhausted)!

hero-mom-moments

If you’re a mom, you’ve been there. Your normally sweet, loving child does or says something that makes you want to sink into the floor. The good news is, you aren’t alone. Kids have been embarrassing their mothers since the beginning of time. And bonus, you’re collecting awesome stories to share at their wedding (it’s always so much funnier after the fact, right?). Read on for a collection of real-life Embarrassing Mom Moments!

Plastic bottles

As a child of the 70’s, I grew up in a house that had fairly lax ideas on environmentalism. Perhaps the plight of mother nature was on my parents’ minds and possibly it was something that gnawed on their conscience on the daily but a small part of me seriously doubts that. In fact, one of my most vivid memories of summer vacations are of long road trips with my family.

Several years ago, my now teenagers went off to sleep-away camp for the first time. On top of learning about getting organized for camp (the fun part), I also had to prepare everyone (OK, me) emotionally for being without my little darlings (the hard part). My newly minted eight-year-old will be going to sleep-away camp for the first time, for two weeks at the end of August. He will be my sixth child to attend sleep-away camp, and I find the same old worries creeping in. I knew I had to prepare myself for kids going to sleep-away camp. So, I’m reminding myself of three things: He might evolve This kid is my picky eater. I’m pretty sure he will starve for the entire two weeks. While one side of me is convinced of this, the other side knows that he might just start eating what everyone else is eating…