Relationships & Family

Out of Empty Nest Valley

jbloustein — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:17:19 -0600

To our left, the Santa Lucia Mountains jutted into the cornflower blue western sky.

To our right, the Pinnacles Mountains rose likewise into the cloudless east.

And rushing alongside our tour bus windows in a blur of emerald, teal, mint and kelly green was the verdant flat patchwork quilt of California’s Salinas Valley.

The tour guide’s microphone crackled with upbeat commentary.

Life Hurts. Just Ask My Toddler

jbloustein — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:44:22 -0500

“Owwwwie...owwie, owwie, owwie,” my 18-month-old daughter wails as if I had just slammed her fingers in the car door.

To punctuate her agony, she throws her head back and enters toddler rigor mortis.

She is certainly in pain and she wants the world to know it. But there isn’t one injured inch on her body. No, this display is to communicate suffering purely of the emotional variety.

The Eel and the Bartender

admin — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 06:38:00 -0500

A green moray eel was donated to the New England Aquarium by a bartender from a neighboring state. For years, the eel had lived in a tank next to the bar, but it had begun to outgrow its home.

The Power of Choices

jbloustein — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:48:32 -0500

I have Olivia’s crib still up in her bedroom. Considering she is only 18 months old, that may not seem so strange. But Olivia hasn’t slept in her crib for nine months.

When Olivia learned to stand up, her perfect sleeping habits instantly stopped. And in my sleep deprived state, I decided to join the ranks of co-sleepers. (My twin sister Susan has co-slept with both of her kids.) I put a mattress on the floor in her room and slept with her there.

Maddie's Lesson

jbloustein — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:21:01 -0500

It is 9:30 p.m. and I am still wrestling my squirming toddler, trying to get her to go to sleep—and it isn’t helping that my seven-year-old son keeps getting out of bed and peeking into her room.

I try to shield Olivia’s eyes and shoo him out, but she spies her big brother out of bed and ready to play. Jackson scrambles back to his room and I snuggle her and hold her tight, kissing her head and singing “Jesus Loves Me” in her ear.

I Can Hear Myself Think...

jbloustein — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:57:56 -0500

I can hear myself think and all I can think of is that I miss the noise.

As a work-at-home mom with two young children and a husband, I don’t often eat a meal alone in a restaurant. But tonight my family is on the other side of the continent and I’m on a business trip in Disney World, alone. I don’t think there is a place on the planet where parental solitude is more punctuated than Disney World.

As I watch a little girl my daughter’s age try to manipulate her fork and force a piece of dessert into her mouth, my caramel mousse loses its sweetness.

How to Make Easter Real for Your Kids

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:54:01 -0600

Jelly beans, cellophane-covered baskets, giant candy bunnies. As I spotted all the trappings of Easter in the supermarket, I thought to myself, No wonder kids get confused about Easter.

Explaining Christmas was a cinch—the birth of Christ is simpler to grasp. Creches, carols and pageants all reinforce the message, making it easier to keep Santa Claus in perspective. But how could I explain to my two school-age children something as profound and mysterious as the Resurrection?

Findings: How to Be a Great Godparent

mcherkezian — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:31:13 -0600

It all happened so fast. My best friend Sandy telephoned from Florida to ask if I would consider being godmother to her second child, a son.

Godmother! I was honored. I was flattered. I'd never been asked to be a godmother before.

"Sure," I replied easily.

"You don't have to answer right away," Sandy said. "Being a godparent is a serious responsibility. Maybe you'd like to think it over for a few days, maybe even pray about it."

Can We Talk?

admin — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:30:00 -0500

My boyfriend and I try to be clear communicators. We e-mail, we text, we call, we talk. But even with all that back and forth, the message can still get mixed sometimes.

For example, one night I dropped by his place after a long day at work. It was late, I hadn't had time for dinner, and I had to have something to eat. So I went to the kitchen and fixed myself a small plate of crackers and pepperoni slices. Yum!

The Art of the Apology

admin — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 08:21:00 -0500

I'm sorry. Two little words that play a big part in our daily vocabulary. You might apologize while squeezing through a crowd or using the last of the printer paper at work. We toss off these everyday "I'm sorry's" but apologies that come in size large are a different story.