Tag: parenting teens

Milestones

Annie burst into the bar exclaiming, “What IS this place?” “It’s the best little wine bar you’ve ever stepped foot in, but tonight it’s also a karaoke bar!” came my response. Without a glance at the menu, she ordered a sauvignon blanc and a song list. Her two friends, obviously indulging Annie’s whim, didn’t even … Continue reading Milestones

Travel Bug

My parents took me to London when I was thirteen years old. Real estate clients/friends of theirs held a wedding reception in London; my dad flew for Pan American Airlines; off we went. As the daughter of an airline captain, this certainly wasn't my first trip. Yet London captured my heart. Before we returned home, … Continue reading Travel Bug

ACK the Crazy of Parenting Teens

A friend posted a link to an article entitled, “WHY AREN’T WE TALKING ABOUT PARENTING TEENAGERS? I’M LOST AF.” Before I even read the article (a great article) I had my response: Because teens don’t want us telling their stories. Because we don’t want to mess up their lives any more by sharing with the … Continue reading ACK the Crazy of Parenting Teens

Do a Good Turn Daily

My friend Tracy works for an in-town start-up company-charity called Sydney Paige. Founder Courtney Brockmeyer left the corporate world to spend more time with her darling daughters, Sydney and Paige, to indulge her passion for education, and to model for her daughters how one person can make a difference. Sydney Paige is like TOMS shoes: … Continue reading Do a Good Turn Daily

Orientation

Orientation [awr-ee-uh n-tey-shuh n] noun 1. the act or process of orienting; 2. The state of being oriented; 3. An introduction, as to guide one in adjusting to new surroundings, employment, activity, or the like: New students receive two days of orientation; 4. Psychology, Psychiatry. The ability to locate oneself in one's environment with reference to time, place, … Continue reading Orientation

Thankful Thursday – Celebrate

Oh, friends, what a week! Thursday to Thursday, I'm not sure there is any adequate way to sum it up, but let's try this: joy, and grief, and joy... In all, celebrate. One week ago we were in the final hours of the school year, during which both kids managed to drag out the drama … Continue reading Thankful Thursday – Celebrate

Recreate, Re-Create, Create

Ah, family vacations...! Since my dad traveled for work, our family didn't take a lot of vacations. At the other extreme, my husband's family shared annual adventures, each year a new version of the Great American Road Trip. A few years ago we took our kids on a two-week camping road trip--nine states, five national … Continue reading Recreate, Re-Create, Create

High School Graduation

Tonight I feel seventeen. Tomorrow is graduation day. One more project to go: for English, a self-expression slide show of my life—my people, my friends and classmates—set to U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” We’ve been together a long time, but high school isn’t it. We still haven’t found what we’re looking … Continue reading High School Graduation

Sifting Shifting Sands

I look at the calendar and question whether I must be in a state of deep denial: Teen has only a handful of school days left, then a few days of finals, before he graduates high school. Fifteen days, including weekends, before this long leg of the journey comes to an end. Oy, I just … Continue reading Sifting Shifting Sands

Carried Away

Today our middle school will hold the 6th grade dance, the one-and-only dance of the year for 6th grade students. Which reminded me of this story I wrote a year ago, when Tween played an unexpected center stage role in tween-age drama. It felt too raw to post then, and too likely to cause offense among … Continue reading Carried Away