In my last post I shared with you my daughter’s trials and frustrations in her quest to gain acceptance to a visual arts high school. Because I was not directly experiencing her frustration, I was able to dole out advice in a rational and measured manner. Apparently the universe decided that I needed to [...]
"Felix with Balloon" by Aurora Stokum, age 13 My 13-year-old daughter Aurora has aspired to be an artist from the moment she first picked up a pencil. And frankly, she has been blowing me away with her artwork since she was five. The picture here is one she drew last fall. I [...]
Last week I rode the Tower of Terror at Disney World for the first time in my life. I’ve included evidence of this accomplishment in the above picture. I’m in the front row: not the woman in blue with her hands in the air, but the woman next to her who is holding on [...]
Ahh February. The month where the world around us becomes a pandemonium of pink and red hearts, and the main song going through my head is “Silly Love Songs”. While I’m a hopeless romantic, it frustrates me to no end that American culture has capitalized on the idea that all the love we feel [...]
And... I’ve got nothin’. Actually I have a lot of stuff, but it all sounds pithy and preachy and over-thought. For the past two days I’ve been trying to channel the witty, inspirational version of me, and she’s just not responding. My unicorn is hiding under a rock, and there’s a troll on top [...]
Whether you know me or not, we’re about to get personal. A week ago I went on my first “first date” in 26 years. Here’re some interesting things to consider. The last time I went on a first date… I was using a typewriter to write my term papers. Will Smith was still the [...]
The Team Nora Tribe at Tough Mudder Tri-State 2017. My friend Sharon and I at Trifit Challenge 2013. (Before I begin I'll let you in on a secret: if you read through to the end of this post I have a little end of [...]
This past week my 13-year old was officially diagnosed with ADHD. It’s both a relief and a huge burden for me. The relief comes from the fact that I can now put a name to so many of the frustrations that have plagued both my daughter and myself over the past 10 years. I’m [...]
Once upon a time, in another life, I taught kindergarten. It was a great experience, working with children at an age that was so open to learning, and at the same time already starting to have their own ideas and passions in life. As Robert Fulghum explained in All I Really Need to [...]