Empty nester already!

Holidays over, back to reality again

Wow, this is going to sound really futuristic to most of you, but use your imagination:Â my kids went back to college today, leaving the house all quiet and empty after two weeks of joy and holiday merriment.Â I am so sad to have them leave.

Posted 2 mon. ago.

contagious kids, oblivious parents

I do wish parents with sick kids would keep them out of society, school, church, friends houses, malls, etc.Â Sorry, but I do think that if your child has an infectious disease of anykind, courtesy and responsibility requires that you keep her/him home away from all those exciting events that your child would really rather be doing.Â I've had parents send their kids to my kids birthday party…

Posted 4 mon. ago.

Parenting Book of the Week

My latest favorite book about parenting is called Parenting, Inc.Â by Pamela Paul, a new mom herself.Â Â Â I am buying it for all my new mom friends.Â It is NOT a how-to book, but rather, a social critique of today's parenting industry. Â This book exposes how today's anxious parents are spending billions of dollars on (supposedly) making baby smarter, better, healthier, and happie…

Posted 5 mon. ago.

College Applications - again.

My youngest childÂ applies to colleges this fall.

Posted 8 mon. ago.

Book Recommendation: five kinds of minds for the …

Five Kinds of Minds for the Future, written by Harvard Graduate school of education professor, Howard Gardner:Â Â Â The same guy who came up with the Multiple Intelligences idea, has written a book about what he sees as the important kinds of minds our children will need to develop for theÂ future.Â He emphasizes my favorite education topic: Â what is our goal in raising our kids?�…

Posted 11 mon. ago.

thought-provoking movie

I went to see the movie,The Class, last night with my French-speaking teenaged daughter.Â The movie is in French, but subtitled in English, and could just as easily been filmed in any American public school rather than the one in Paris where it was filmed.Â Â Documentary-style, it is like a modern "to sir with love", only portrays a much more realistic view of current education in a low-to…

Posted 12 mon. ago.

Free Volleyball Clinic

Free Volleyball Clinic for girls 8-13 years old at the Raleigh Convention Center at noon on Saturday. Mar 14.Â Â Â Â My highschool daughter loves (loves is perhaps not a strong enough word)Â playing volleyball, and it has been a worthwhile fun recreational activity for her throughout her school years.Â Here is a fun, non-threatening, active way to introduce your girls to the sport i…

Posted 1 yr. ago.

international montessori school in Durham?

Question: does anyone know anything about the International Montesorri School in Durham? Their website is great and informative, but anyone have any first hand knowledge of it? THX

Posted 1 yr. ago.

Out of Africa

Home now from my travels to So. Africa, Botswana, Zambia, viewing wildlife.Â I hope to never forget the incomparable sunsets across the African plains.Â Or the explosion of stars in a night sky darker and vaster than any planetarium show.Â Dawn watching incredible diversity of wildlife appear around a watering hole, or following a lion pride on their nightly stroll with cubs playing along…

Posted 1 yr. ago.

Off to Africa

Off to Africa:Â Botswana (an AIDs capital of the world) and Zambia next month before rainy season there, hoping to avoid malariaÂ carrying mosquito breeding season.Â Â All travel advice from natives or seasoned African travelers welcome.Â Â Planning to observe cross-cultural parenting ideas and cross-species parenting behaviors along with incomparable wildlife.

Posted 1 yr. ago.

about this blog

Empty nester already!

As a recent empty-nester, it is such a joy to have my two kids come home as independent, delightful, 'almost' adults! All those hours/days/years of parenting are worth every second.