At their young age, the boys don’t seem to be big city folks. That’s their conclusion after spending the weekend in Philadelphia for a family wedding. There were certain elements of city life that were eye-opening for both kids. There were times when both were rattled by the sights of many homeless people sleeping on… Read more »

Seeing your child struggle is never easy, but ultimately I like to think it’s a good thing over the long term. Beckett is fortunate that most things in his life — school and athletics, for example — come fairly easy to him. That’s not to say he doesn’t need to study for tests and practice… Read more »

Like most households I assume, Easter baskets were opened at my house early in the morning on Sunday. By the end of the day on Easter, I was convinced the kids should not get to open their baskets until the end of the day. I was not thinking along the lines of using it as… Read more »

Parenting sure takes a mental toll. With infants, there’s a physical grind, as new parents live in a haze longing for sleep. Later, toddlers are into everything, resulting in a lot of defense with stalking required to keep him or her safe. As the kids get older, it turns mental and oftentimes it’s psychological warfare…. Read more »

“Why are you guys so hard on me?” That’s a question we often hear from Beckett. It always brings out extreme emotions from me. I either laugh hysterically at the absurdity or get frustrated over him playing the victim role (a pet peeve of mine in our current society). My reactions are rooted in the… Read more »

I’m pulling for the University of South Carolina in this weekend’s NCAA Final Four. While I love the underdog story, I’m also quite fond of their coach, Frank Martin. He’s a humble, candid type who speaks from the heart. He never expected to be where he will be this weekend and when giving the opportunity… Read more »

I don’t know if I’m a cruise person or not, but I have come to realize I’m definitely a Disney Cruise Line person. We went on our second Disney cruise in as many years last week and the experience was wonderful once again. We had such a great time last year we booked another one… Read more »

(Editor’s Note: The writer is on vacation this week. The following is a reprint from the archives from the May 18, 2010 edition.) Coping with the disorder that comes with two young kids is tricky business. I would never say being neat and tidy are characteristics of mine, but I do like a certain order… Read more »

I like to think of this parenting thing as a journey involving many twists and turns, all of which include transitions. We are always in flux, moving ahead to one aspect of life while juggling the changes that seemingly come every day. Fortunately, with our 8- and 7-year-olds the changes aren’t necessarily dramatic over the… Read more »

When a flyer came home announcing a singing concert at Carson’s school, it was met with anxiety. We wrongly assumed this would just be a first grade presentation our non-verbal son would sit out. After all, he can’t sing. He can’t even mouth the words at this point in his journey due to severe apraxia…. Read more »