Flying Solo

My baby is gone. She learned how to ride a two-wheeler and took off. It’s a mother’s worst nightmare. Your child is ready to spread her wings, but you just want to smother those growing appendages in a bear hug and hold on for dear life. This summer, my little fledgling was itching to take flight and she used her beloved bike to soar… far away from home. Too far. Way too far. What started out as a request to ride solo to the end of our cul-de-sac morphed into a journey stretching several blocks into an unfamiliar neighborhood filled … Continue reading

Keeping Your Kids Safe During the Holidays

So, yesterday my friend calls to ask me if our Christmas tree was up and decorated. (It is.) Then, she proceeded to tell me that after spending three hours trimming her family’s 7-foot Douglas fir the entire thing came crashing down… on her 16-month-old son. Fortunately, he didn’t suffer any major injuries, but since the fall the tree has been banished to the corner of the living room and is trapped behind a wall of child safety gates. Not that it really needs the protection given that her son is now deathly afraid of the fir. My pal’s anecdote serves … Continue reading