Tweens

For my family and me, moving to Iowa in 2012 was, in many respects, like moving to a new country. Shoveling snow, combating gnats, and acquiring snow pants were all new to us. Over the past three years my...

The inner debate as to whether to go back to work or stay home after having a baby is a complicated and stressful one. The decision depends on a number of factors and sparks many questions within a family....

Recently I met my high school girlfriends for a weekend trip to Galena, Illinois. We had not been in a room together for over 25 years. As is the case with many people in their mid 40’s, we reconnected via...

Have you ever had one of those days when no matter what you say, your child (conveniently) does not hear you? You could be talking as loud as your voice allows, doing hand gestures to express yourself, while repeating...

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. It's not because of the beautiful colors the leaves change to, or the fun times my family has at the pumpkin patch, or the fact that it's apple season and...

1. You can leave them home alone. When the thought of dragging the whole gang out in public gives my husband and I a stress headache, we remember something truly beautiful: they don’t have to come with us. And...