Advertisement:

Zoinks! Did I Inadvertently Participate in an Art Scam?

Zoinks! Did I Inadvertently Participate in an Art Scam?
I haven’t slept in weeks. Each time I close my eyes, fear settles in and I hear a voice ominously declare “Ain’t no rest for the wicked.” I open my eyes and Cage the Elephant’s song is mysteriously playing – again. I spend hours searching the internet, hunting for details. My family recently drove 15... Read more »
By Crystal Intini Alperin,
Thursday at 11:07 pm
• Leave a comment

What Were You Thinking? Face-palm Moments With Kids

There is a rule in my home that seems to be broken quite often. I do not think I am an overbearing mother and firmly stand on the idea that rules and structure are good for kids, yet I am still a believer in being flexible and letting kids explore. With one rule, however, I... Read more »
By Beth Rago,
Tuesday at 10:18 am
• 7 comments

Born To Stride: Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis Research

Born To Stride: Great Strides Walk for Cystic Fibrosis Research
I love to take walks along the Fox River Trail in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. I can always appreciate the dense trees and the sound of the water flowing next to the path. Sure, the bikers whiz by sometimes lacking “trail etiquette” and every now and then, those pesky water bugs fly into your... Read more »
By Beth Rago,
May 18, 2012 at 10:30 am
• Leave a comment
Advertisement:

Parents Should Decide How to Market Toys, Not the Toy Companies

Parents Should Decide How to Market Toys, Not the Toy Companies
My kids have been saving up money doing chores around the house. They receive a quarter each day for making their beds and cleaning up their toys at night. At long last, they had each saved up enough money to buy a toy from Toys R’ Us. My 5-year-old son, Raymond, knew exactly what he... Read more »
By Beth Rago,
May 15, 2012 at 7:52 am
• 6 comments

My Parenting Resume: I'm No Longer An Entry-Level Mother

My Parenting Resume: I'm No Longer An Entry-Level Mother
During my sabbatical, as the sleepless nights and my lack of creative vision continued, I needed some kind of outlet for my twitchy typing fingers and decided to update my resume on LinkedIn to keep me busy. As I browsed through my thesaurus looking for power words like master, impeccable, and wizard, I started to... Read more »
By Beth Rago,
May 10, 2012 at 7:55 am
• Leave a comment

Spring Cleaning Challenge, 5 weeks later

Spring Cleaning Challenge, 5 weeks later
You always see the before and after photos of home makeovers. You never see how it looks after it’s been lived in for a while. I thought I would show you how my home office looks after living /working in there for 5 weeks. These are papers for donating breast milk. I needed to scan... Read more »
By Shari,
May 2, 2012 at 11:31 am
• Leave a comment
Advertisement:

How Do You Negotiate The Sibling Wars?

How Do You Negotiate The Sibling Wars?
The battle lines were drawn months ago. The conflict started over something neither party can even remember. The impetus never mattered, anyway. I fear this war was inevitable. It is Brother-Against-Brother in the Alperin Civil War, and our house is divided. The boys have had disagreements in the past, but nothing prepared me for the... Read more »
By Crystal Intini Alperin,
April 26, 2012 at 10:35 am
• Leave a comment

This is for the Want-to-Be Parents

This is for the Want-to-Be Parents
When we were getting on the plane to come home from vacation, the flight attendant gasped when she saw my 10-month-old. She said, “I’ll take him!” I responded, “You can have him!” Parents make jokes like this all the time: “Please take my children!” After I made the joke, I told myself that was the... Read more »
By Shari,
April 25, 2012 at 3:08 pm
• 2 comments

What Advice Would You Give to New Graduates?

What Advice Would You Give to New Graduates?
My son is almost 4 years old. Although it’s still 4 months away, we are prepping him for pre-school. He is very shy and timid, so I’ve been getting him pumped up about meeting new kids, doing art projects, and learning new things. He has a new backpack that he loves to take everywhere. I’m... Read more »
By Amanda,
April 23, 2012 at 8:04 am
• 8 comments
Advertisement:

Coping with a Child's Chronic Illness: How Running Heals Me

Coping with a Child's Chronic Illness: How Running Heals Me
I run because I have secrets. I run because I live in fear. I run because I learned years ago that monsters are real. I have never been an athlete. I can’t catch a ball, throw a ball, hit a ball, pass a ball, serve a ball or even juggle a ball. I’ve always been... Read more »
By Crystal Intini Alperin,
April 19, 2012 at 4:29 pm
• 2 comments