The Summer of Mahjong
Or, Everyone Everywhere All at Once This began as the summer of Mahjong. In May and June, while my oldest son was waiting for a job to...
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Dec 15, 20234 min
Forced Family Fun: Paper Chain Prank
Recently our Forced Family Fun took a sinister turn. Actually, we couldn’t agree on whether what we were doing was a prank or a gift. My...
Nov 6, 20234 min
Catch and Release
Recently, our oldest came home from his freshman year of college for fall break. I was like a fisherman doing catch-and-release. I picked...
Sep 21, 20234 min
Long-Distance Parenting 101
When your child needs you but you're hundreds of miles away...
Aug 18, 20233 min
The Summer Reading Role Reversal
My children are taking revenge, and they are wielding my own weapons against me. Each summer, I give my younger boys “Challenge Books” to...
Aug 12, 20233 min
It's a Good Thing We're No Good at Tennis
(It's more fun that way.) Recently, my husband and I took up tennis. Some of you have been playing some sort of sport or exercising with...
Aug 5, 20234 min
Forced Family Fun: Origami
Or, "Pick Your Paper Wisely" Recently two of my oldest son’s Forced Family Fun choices came together in a highly unsatisfying way. My...
Jul 10, 20233 min
Fifty Last Hugs
Each night before I go to bed, I stand in the hall outside of my boys’ bedroom doors and loudly announce, “Here for hugs!” For years—and...
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