I have a writing piece up and running today at Mile High Mamas, the parenting blog of The Denver Post.
A Village of Witnesses? What could that be about? Click on over and find out! The comments are closed here, but I’d love to hear what you have to say over there!
Well, today is a big day for me. Normally, I play things pretty safe on the Internet. In my years of online adventures, I’ve learned to keep my potentially controversial opinions to myself…for the most part.
Well, not today. Today, I came out of my shell as a writer.
What are all these pieces on the floor?
Oh, that would be my shell. Please watch your step. 
Today marks the day that I have a potentially controversial post up and running at Mile High Mamas, the parenting blog of The Denver Post. Some people will agree with me. Some people will not.
And, that’s okay.
It’s an important topic, and I’m glad I have the opportunity to get this conversation started!
So, what did i write about? Click on over and find out! The comments are closed here, but I’d love to hear what you have to say over there!
Sometimes she reads books the way Daddy watches TV
By Yours Truly
As Featured at Mile High Mamas
I think we’ve reached the stage where we could totally go without naps. And, by “we,” I mean my three-year old, Claire. And, by “totally go without,” I mean she still needs them but I’m not fighting it anymore. And, by “not fighting it anymore,” I mean I’ve resorted to trickery.
Actually, truth be told, I’ve been doing this for a while now. Trickery, that is. As any parent of a preschooler will tell you, there’s a fine line between trickery and clever parenting. And, I’m okay with both descriptions if the results are favorable to both parties.
Claire was always a good sleeper as a baby, so I really can’t complain. Overall, she was a great napper as a toddler, so I realize we’re lucky. It’s just been up until recently that the nap-times have really started to fade. Of course, my tactics change when they become obsolete, morphing into the next trick up my sleeve.
Still, life for everyone is much more pleasant when the preschooler takes her nap, so I still try to push her, ever so gently, in that direction, whenever I can.
“Oh, no!” I’ll tell her. “You don’t have to take a nap. Why don’t you just …READ ON…
Note: Comments are closed here, but please pop on over to finish the piece and comment there! Thanks!!
A little visit from Reality
By Yours Truly
As Featured at Mile High Mamas
“Sometimes I miss my old life,” I mutter to myself, as I am sitting at my computer, looking at my calendar, phone in hand.
All of a sudden, Reality slaps me in the face.
“Which old life?” she spats at me. “The one where you worked so hard to get into a private college, studied your heart out and graduated with honors? The one where you were in search of a life in the social work field, only to come home every night and cry because you realized that you weren’t really helping people? That you really couldn’t help people? The life where you realized that to be a good counselor you had to care, but to continue to be a counselor you had to not care? That life?”
I am stunned. I hadn’t even heard her come in. “N-n-no. Not that part,” I stutter, remembering how devastated I’d felt at that moment. The realization that what I was going to be when I grew up wasn’t making me happy and that I needed to be happy to function properly had created mass confusion in my brain. The world I’d created for myself threatened to crumble around me.
“But, I fixed that. We moved away. I got into another line of work, using the other part of my major. Life was so free and uncomplicated then,” I say wistfully. “…problem solved.”
“HA!” she laughs in my face. Her wicked eyes crinkling with her smile. “You mean the job where you had the fancy title and were in charge of so many things, but had to get up at 4:30 in the morning to drive all the way up there? To be there early because of your READ ON…
Having Fun for FREE!
By Yours Truly
As Featured at Mile High Mamas
The economy is facing uncertain times. Pennies are being pinched all over the place. Many of us are sitting down and re-prioritizing where our money is going. The necessities get taken care of first, with hopes of there being something left over for the fun stuff.
They say, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” That may be true, but if you’re careful with your planning and do a little research, you CAN have lots of fun in the Denver Metro Area for FREE! (And, I’m not just talking about all our wonderful parks or indoor play areas.)
Having fun for FREE? For real? Yes!
Where? Well, here are some great places to check out…for FREE!
First, we have The Children’s Museum of Denver.
The Children’s Museum of Denver is open to the public for FREE on the first Tuesday of the month. From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on that Tuesday, there is no admission charge, and you and your kids can experience all the different rooms, nooks and crannies…for FREE.
Claire and I had the opportunity to check it out, and she had a blast! It was rather crowded, so I was sure to pack a little extra patience in my bag, and we had a great time. She loved the nature exhibit where she got to crawl around in the tunnels with the other furry woodland critters. She loved shopping for groceries at the supermarket and then using those items to make a meal in the kitchen that she then served to us at the restaurant counter.
It was hard getting her to leave the workshop area where she and Daddy put together a project, using real tools! After that, it was onto the art center where she painted a picture, before heading to the dance floor to try out her new moves in front of the mirror.
There were so many things to do that her answer to “what was your favorite part” was a list of things!
The Denver Children’s Museum is located at 2121 Children’s Museum Drive or on the web at http://cmdenver.org. Parking was free. Admission was free. Even with the crowds, we had a great time!
So, if the normal Admission Prices (that range from $5.50 to $7.50) aren’t in your budget for the month, go down to The Children’s Museum on the first Tuesday of the month for FREE!
Another awesome example of a fun FREE thing to do is READ ON…and be sure to leave a comment over there!
Guess what!? They’ve asked me to be a “permanent fixture” at The Denver Post‘s parenting blog, Mile High Mamas, and today is my debut piece!
I’ve written as a Guest Blogger over there in the past, and I’m thrilled about this new opportunity!
So, click on over and check it out!
And, please leave a comment! You don’t have to be from the Mile High City to do so…and I’d love to hear from you!
Good Wrinkles
By Yours Truly
As Featured at Mile High Mamas
“Don’t make a bad wrinkle, Momma.” Claire said to me, out of the blue. “Make a good wrinkle!”
“What?” I asked her, confused.
“A bad wrinkle! You have a bad wrinkle,” she said, pointing to my forehead. “Make a good wrinkle!”
I couldn’t help but smile, because I’d actually figured out what she meant, and I was shocked that she’d noticed.
“Like that!” she said in approval. “Yes. That’s a good wrinkle!”
She was talking about the two little vertical lines I get between my eyebrows when I frown, and she must correlate those with Momma not being happy.
Luckily, our life is full of happiness and laughter, but sometimes I frown without even knowing it. Sometimes I frown for obvious reasons, but sometimes I frown when I’m concentrating or when I’m confused. Even with all the laughter, do you know how much concentration and confusion surrounds me and my preschooler? A lot. Apparently. I’ve not stopped concentrating, and I’ve learned to roll with the confusion, but I’ve been consciously working on raising my eyebrows.
You see, I get READ ON…
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Road Trip Tips & Tricks
I have a writing piece up and running today at Mile High Mamas, the parenting blog of The Denver Post.
It’s that time of year again…
Road Trip!!
Wanna know some tips & tricks for a tip-top trip? Click on over to check it out! The comments are closed here, but I’d love to hear what you have to say over there!