Parenting
-
Mom and Son
“Please understand that everything I ask you to do has a purpose. Whether it’s learning to take out the trash and recycling every week, completing your homework on time, giving others your attention while they are performing, or remembering to say thank you when someone gives you a compliment – all of these things are lessons meant to help you make an easier transition into adulthood.” His reply; “I’m a teenager, mom. What do you expect?” I wanted to say “I expect you to do everything I ask, immediately, without question.” Well maybe I did say something along those lines during our hour long conversation. It was more like… please…
-
Glee and the University of Illinois
Having teens is a very exciting time. I get to watch them discover their passions and try to decide which path they will follow after graduation. I play the role of tour guide and gentle counselor. While there is an underlying sadness because I know that soon our house will be too quiet, there is also a joy in seeing their eagerness to explore and experience life as young adults. The night before we left for Champaign, Illinois, Arielle decided to record an audition video for the Glee Project. Unsure about her singing ability she still wanted to go for it and give it a try. Glee has been one of her…
-
Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
I was standing in the kitchen doing dishes. Arielle was on my laptop at the dining room table. Calmly she said “Mom, I got accepted to UCF.” I’ve heard many sentences from my children throughout eighteen years. “Mom, I’m hungry. Mom, can you wash this? Mom, can I go to the movies?” This sentence was unfamiliar. College. My daughter was accepted to a college. I congratulated her, kissed her and told her how proud I was of her. I went back to doing the dishes because I had five minutes before I had to pick up Kai at the dentist. He was getting braces. In the middle of our everyday…
-
It was a Daughtry Afternoon
I live with three musicians. My husband Eric was attending the Musicians Institute in Hollywood when we met. He plays bass and my daughter plays the piano. My son, Kai, plays the piano, drums, guitar and has the drive to learn any instrument. The three of them have bazillions of songs on their iPhones and are never without their music. Then there’s me who relishes the quiet, is extremely picky about what I listen to and dreads putting new music on my iPhone. I will listen to the same workout songs at the gym over and over for months until I just can’t take it anymore. Somehow I’m able to sit…
-
Easy Halloween Treat for a Classroom
I found the best Halloween activity for a classroom. It’s inexpensive, easy, tasty and for those teachers who love to teach writing like me, can be used for a creative writing lesson. Click here for a picture of what the treat could look like if you had your own magazine and TV show. Now I’ll show you my version. This is all you’ll need. 1. Bag of oranges 2. Pencil 3. Tooth-picks 4. Orange sherbet First – and this will be the most time-consuming for teachers since I don’t recommend giving your students knives. Cut off the top of the orange. Next, scoop out the inside and draw a face or…
-
Accessible Barcelona
We took our first trip to Europe in 2007. I was determined to show my daughter, Arielle, that being in a wheelchair should not stop her from pursuing her dreams or traveling abroad. When we returned home, I wrote about our experiences. Compassion in Action was my first online article. The Reeve Foundation posted it on their site and added pictures, you can see it here.Thanks, Rob. During that trip, we did run into some accessibility problems, but every time people were willing to lend a helping hand. When I made our plans for our vacation to Barcelona, I expected to have many of the same issues we encountered four years ago. I was…
