Live and Let Di

A Fine Line

I have often written about the importance of the "village" in raising your child. When they are young, it's relatively easy. You see your friend's kid weaving his bike back and forth across the road, oblivious to the possibility of oncoming cars, you get on the phone and let your friend know. At that age, kids still think their Moms are omniscient and have no concept that someone "busted" them. …

Posted 3 days ago.

Back to Work

Several people I know, who are Moms of teens, are starting to think about going back to the workplace. Their kids have their drivers' licenses and/or their friends have their drivers' licenses, so picking up and dropping off is not such a big responsibility. Some of them have sent some or all of their kids off to college. The unemployment rate is still pretty high, so the question becomes, how doe…

Posted 1 week ago.

I can breathe in a small town...

I lived in big cities for fifteen years before moving to our small town of Fuquay-Varina. And once during the last ten years, we moved back to a big city for two years. The fact that we came back here pretty much says it all about where we prefer to be and where we prefer to raise our family. I was thinking about the things that make a small town different ... things that those who grew up here mi…

Posted 2 weeks ago.

Not so Wickedly Funny

I don't know how many of my book reviews start this way, but here goes. I was walking around Quail Ridge Books, browsing for the next great read, when I came across ...

Posted 3 weeks ago.

Reciprocity

One of the coolest things about coordinating with other parents is the concept of "reciprocity." Yes, I would love to have your son over for a few hours while you go to your doctor's appointment. Not only because he will keep MY son occupied for that time period, but because you will the OWE ME. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not quid pro quo. It's actually a very loosely maintained agreement and t…

Posted 1 mon. ago.

Wake School Shuffle

Some weeks my deadline approaches and I don't feel any inspiration for a blog topic. That was how I was feeling, until I read the morning paper. I think the N&O does a good job of providing side-by-side differing views on various topics (remember, I am not a PAID employee of the N&O, so I don't HAVE to say that). On Tuesday, page 7A presented two different views on Wake County Schools in view of t…

Posted 1 mon. ago.

Mommy's Little Secret

In this age of what I call "competitive parenting," one of the biggest casualties is what so many of us need to survive ... commiseration! There's probably a more positive phrase for it ... moral support, consciousness-raising, or some such thing ... but it is what it is!

Posted 1 mon. ago.

Sick of School

Last year my back-to-school gripe was about the endless forms we had to fill out. Parent homework, if you will. As the year progressed, I weighed in on the subject of standardized testing ... not so favorably, I might add. I blogged about the crazy grading system used in Wake County Schools, where a 92 is a B.

Posted 1 mon. ago.

Growing Pains

There are certain times in your children's lives when you are dumbstruck by how they are growing. My teeny-tiny two-and-a-half year old daughter suddenly seemed gargantuan when I brought her infant brother home from the hospital. Her adorable toddler dresses seemed the size of tents compared to his itty-bitty onesies when I did the laundry.

Posted 1 mon. ago.

What I Want to Be When I Grow Up

There are a few things I remember about the big family party my grandparents had every Christmas night. My Dad always acted as bartender. My Mom made baked beans. And since we didn't see many of these people at any other time during the year, we typically heard the same refrains: "You've gotten so big!" (Note to family members everywhere, by the time a girl is a teenager, you might want to change …

Posted 2 mon. ago.

about this blog

Live and Let Di

Diane is a TriangleMom2Mom featured blogger, appearing every Wednesday.

I try to be the voice of Moms with teens. My daughter Haley is 16. She's at that age where she is convinced that I know nothing. I'm thinking I'll seem a lot smarter when she's 22. We bond over Broadway shows. My son Rory is 13. He started reading the sports page when he was 5 and his passion for anything sports-related has grown ever since. This year he beat out 9 guys in their 40s to win his Fantasy Football League. Watch for him on ESPN in a few years.

My husband Hurley works from home, but travels quite a bit. When he's gone, I usually take a break from making dinner and cleaning the house. Oh, I don't do those things regularly when he's here either! Our parenting philosophy is "choose your battles." The only problem is that we often choose different battles. It keeps it interesting!!!