“Time to Fly, Little Bird” I describe life in the nest with two anxious parents and an overconfident teen who is getting ready for his first solo flight. In a letter to her son, the mother bird shares her frustrations with her entitled baby bird, stresses the importance of learning to fly and feed himself and discourages time wasted on practicing his mating call. Will he get it together before it’s time for his parents to fly south? Word count: 575 words.
“The Eye Roll Gold Medalist” The essay will take you through our story of discovering my daughter’s gift of the perfect eye roll and how, along with my help, she perfected it over the years. For those not lucky enough to live with teenagers, the essay includes the actual description of her gold medal performance. Word count: 709 words.
“We Do What We Can” As adults, our calendars are bursting with work, home and family obligations. It is often a struggle to fit everything in and the moments fly by without giving us a chance to enjoy them. Why not try to look at the lighter side of this busy time in our lives? I believe the memories and the good times are found among the chaos. In today’s world, a perfect family does not exist. And honestly, perfect is boring. Word count: 540 words.
“Twas the First Day of Spring Break” is a humorous essay written in poem form. I share a little of the magic that my children found inside a mall, a forgotten closet and the hearts of their siblings. Starting out in a room full of three sulking teens, the day progressed to be one that we will never forget. Word count: 602 words.
“A Mom’s Letter To Santa” This humorous essay is written from the perspective of a mother of teens. She starts off explaining what a good mom she has been, chauffeuring her kids to activities and attending numerous games and recitals. Mom even justifies why she has had a few meltdowns along the way – she does live with teenagers! You will laugh at her requests for “The Wine Diet” book, a roll of never ending toilet paper and an argument free week, but none of them will be as impossible to fulfill as her post script. Word count: 486 words.
“The Strings that Hold us Together” In this essay, I share a moment of simplicity and wonder. The generation gap closes as a 91 year old woman shares a part of her childhood with her teenage great-grandchildren. As I watched them play, I realized that I seeing the passing of a torch and was touched by how easily the next generation accepted it. (Photos available to accompany article) Word count: 575 words.
“Confessions of an Ex Tooth Fairy” In this humorous essay, discover how a Tooth Fairy transforms from a new-mom’s vision to a seasoned mom’s reality. Her journey starts out as a magical character leaving notes and new dollar bills, but over time, she morphs into a forgetful, unorganized creature who is full of excuses. When she is finally out of a job, she reflects back on her journey to find that despite the fairy-tale dreams of a new mom, she is only human. Word count: 585 words.
“Dreaded Swimsuit Shopping” Mothers everywhere can relate to the frustration of trying to find a swimsuit that doesn’t look “too bad” on their no-longer-25-post-children-body. By the cruel irony of fate, the swimsuits are displayed in stores just as the Christmas decorations are coming down. Unfortunately, the extra pounds we put on during the holiday season cannot be taken off and boxed away like the decorations. That, coupled with the lack of summer sun forces us to shop for swimsuits in the body of the Michelin Man. Word count: 589 words.
“Last Minute Lucys” In my humorous essay, “Last Minute Lucys” I explore a morning in my life as a parent of three procrastinators. While I was annoyed with them for waiting until the 11th hour to finish homework and get papers signed, I wondered if that was something they learned from their mother. Word count: 625 words
“The View from the Passenger’s Seat” I explain what it is like to drive with a student driver. Strapped into the car with a former Super Mario Kart driver turned Rules of the Road advocate is not for the faint of heart. They go from awkward, direction challenged children to young adults excited to encounter this long-awaited milestone. The best part is that you get to sit next to them through the whole process. Word count: 785 words
“Which Side of the Camera are You On?” tells the story of my search for a picture of just my son and I for a Mother-Son brunch slideshow. When I have trouble finding one of just him and I, I realize that my absence may be intentional. Word count: 605 words