So I Broke Down and Tried Botox (please don’t judge me!)

I’m a squinter. Always have been. My Grandma used to caution me, “Quit doing that – your face will freeze that way!”

In my twenties, David would affectionately tease me about my “worry line.” He would always know when something was amiss, all he had to do was look between my eyes.

Fast forward thirty (or so) years and, still, I squint on. The squinting’s worst when I’m writing – I don’t even realized I’m doing it.

And Grandma was right, my face… CONTINUE READING >> 

I’m a squinter. Always have been. My Grandma used to caution me, “Quit doing that – your face will freeze that way!”

In my twenties, David would affectionately tease me about my “worry line.” He would always know when something was amiss, all he had to do was look between my eyes.

Fast forward thirty (or so) years and, still, I squint on. The squinting’s worst when I’m writing – I don’t even realized I’m doing it.

And Grandma was right, my face… CONTINUE READING >> 

Why We Call Our Adult Kids “The Spawn” (and how they got their nicknames)

Every once in a great while we receive comments like this:

Please don’t refer to your children as “spawn”. It sounds so disrespectful…

AND

You refer to your daughter as “Piglet”…  How would you like being referred to as “piglet’ or “spawn”?” Have you ever asked her?

I’ve wanted to respond for a while now, but it didn’t feel right before I got my hands on the hilarious evidence behind our nicknaming… CONTINUE READING >>

Every once in a great while we receive comments like this:

Please don’t refer to your children as “spawn”. It sounds so disrespectful…

AND

You refer to your daughter as “Piglet”…  How would you like being referred to as “piglet’ or “spawn”?” Have you ever asked her?

I’ve wanted to respond for a while now, but it didn’t feel right before I got my hands on the hilarious evidence behind our nicknaming… CONTINUE READING >>

The Good and Bad of Losing Control of the Holidays

This year marks a turning point for us.

We’ve fully handed over the Christmas planning process over to our adult daughters, led by The Piglet. We’re in full tell-us-where-and-when-to-show-up mode.

Don’t get us wrong, we feel comfy in The Piglet’s very capable hands, but it is weird. We hardly know what to do with… CONTINUE READING >>

This year marks a turning point for us.

We’ve fully handed over the Christmas planning process over to our adult daughters, led by The Piglet. We’re in full tell-us-where-and-when-to-show-up mode.

Don’t get us wrong, we feel comfy in The Piglet’s very capable hands, but it is weird. We hardly know what to do with… CONTINUE READING >>

Sumo Warriors: My Japanese Wrestling Education

Another fun post from our daughter, Charli, AKA The Piglet!

There’s a misconception that sumo wresting is just a couple fat dudes bashing into each other, but there’s actually a lot ritual, a lot of skill, and a lot of training that goes into those fat guys bashing into each other.

Sumo tournaments are held three times a year in Tokyo and I was lucky enough… CONTINUE READING >>

Another fun post from our daughter, Charli, AKA The Piglet!

There’s a misconception that sumo wresting is just a couple fat dudes bashing into each other, but there’s actually a lot ritual, a lot of skill, and a lot of training that goes into those fat guys bashing into each other.

Sumo tournaments are held three times a year in Tokyo and I was lucky enough… CONTINUE READING >>

Look Mom, I’m in North Korea!

Excited to introduce everyone to our daughter, Charli, AKA The Piglet!

For most parents, “Look Mom, I’m in North Korea!” is probably not a dream email to receive.

However, I obviously inherited a love of questionable activities in foreign countries from my parents, The GypsyNesters.

So when they received my weekly travel newsletter detailing my trip to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), not only… CONTINUE READING >>

Excited to introduce everyone to our daughter, Charli, AKA The Piglet!

For most parents, “Look Mom, I’m in North Korea!” is probably not a dream email to receive.

However, I obviously inherited a love of questionable activities in foreign countries from my parents, The GypsyNesters.

So when they received my weekly travel newsletter detailing my trip to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), not only… CONTINUE READING >>

Sometimes a Girl’s Gotta Get Away

Don’t get me wrong – I love being with David. 

We’re pretty much together 24/7 and it’s seldom a problem with us.

We work hard on keeping our relationship fresh (to varying degrees, of course!) and continue to try new things together.

But sometimes a girl… CONTINUE READING >>

Don’t get me wrong – I love being with David. 

We’re pretty much together 24/7 and it’s seldom a problem with us.

We work hard on keeping our relationship fresh (to varying degrees, of course!) and continue to try new things together.

But sometimes a girl… CONTINUE READING >>

War & Peace, Volume II

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. -Mark Twain A reader wrote:

“The best part is when they finally get it, and tell you sorry for being such pain in the ass during those (teenage) years. My son told me he now understands everything I was trying to convey to his logic blocked brain back then…”

Oh man, I can relate.

I was pretty certain that at least one of my envelope-pushing teens would flee the nest — i-Pod at full volume and a certain finger in the air — never looking back or speaking to me… CONTINUE READING >>

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. -Mark Twain A reader wrote:

“The best part is when they finally get it, and tell you sorry for being such pain in the ass during those (teenage) years. My son told me he now understands everything I was trying to convey to his logic blocked brain back then…”

Oh man, I can relate.

I was pretty certain that at least one of my envelope-pushing teens would flee the nest — i-Pod at full volume and a certain finger in the air — never looking back or speaking to me… CONTINUE READING >>

Helicopter Mom – You Are Grounded!

“A mother is only as happy as her saddest child,” a close friend’s grandmother used to say.

When I first heard her say this, all three of my children were young and safely in the nest so I could totally relate. Somehow I thought once they were grown up this would change.

It didn’t.

Trouble finds its way into everyone‘s lives – and as much as we hate it – trouble finds our adult children. Whether it rears its ugly head in a… CONTINUE READING >>

“A mother is only as happy as her saddest child,” a close friend’s grandmother used to say.

When I first heard her say this, all three of my children were young and safely in the nest so I could totally relate. Somehow I thought once they were grown up this would change.

It didn’t.

Trouble finds its way into everyone‘s lives – and as much as we hate it – trouble finds our adult children. Whether it rears its ugly head in a… CONTINUE READING >>