http://mamasays.org Thu, 14 Sep 2006 02:23:59 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 I wrote this essay at the request of my son, Vincent, who wondered why I have this website but haven't posted anything about him yet. He read it over and thought it was pretty confusing, but that I should post it anyway. I guess that was a fairly ... http://mamasays.org/2006/09/13/we-say-yes/ I’ve been hearing a lot about helicopter parents these days. Truth be told, most of what I’ve been hearing has been coming from the nagging little voice inside my own head that whispers all those nasty, self-critical remarks. It’s admonishing me for being one of these loathsome creatures you ... http://mamasays.org/2006/06/23/bitter-rant/ Turns out, there is a tremendous lot of waiting in this adoption business, even if you are waiting for an older child, a sibling group, any race. Waiting and waiting and waiting. Besides meeting the child or children themselves, many other things are held up, so that the flow of ... http://mamasays.org/2006/06/04/what-are-we-waiting-for/ They can smell it on me. These little kids in the Writers Circle I recently formed at the elementary school, they can tell I am not practicing what I preach. I am not writing every day. I am not brainstorming ideas in my journal. I am not outlining before I write. ... http://mamasays.org/2006/05/16/unblog-unentry/ Quite often, I feel that I should take an antidepressant as a preventative measure before reading an editorial by the Plain Dealer’s Kevin O’Brien. Let’s just say that I’ve crossed him off my list of suspects as the perpetrator of the cheery “I Love You Cleveland” graffiti that you ... http://mamasays.org/2006/03/08/free-the-cleveland-65000/ Our Audrey has a history of delivering some fairly profound observations about her world in a manner that is so casual and offhand that it often hauls her parents up short. Here’s an example: Yesterday, the kids and I were making a whirlwind stop at the grocery store, between school ... http://mamasays.org/2006/03/03/i-am-a-lump/ Ned asked, “Will you let Papa know about this experience?” So here’s hoping Papa gets pinged while he’s at work: Just now, as the kids and I were chatting about their school day over fried pierogies and baked beans, Ned looked down at his plate and said, “Mama, I see the ... http://mamasays.org/2006/02/27/a-message-from-the-buddha/ [Earlier today I was asked to submit a short piece for the newsletter at the Seeds of Literacy program where I tutor four mornings a week. I'm running it below as today's blog entry. If you have considered tutoring adults, need to earn your GED, or just want to improve your ... http://mamasays.org/2006/02/16/each-one-could-teach-one/ The other day I was talking with some of my fellow tutors at the Seeds of Literacy GED prep program. I learn a lot this way. Several of Seeds' tutors are retired teachers, business people, scientists, or experienced parents, so there’s a wealth of knowledge handy and ready to be ... http://mamasays.org/2006/02/15/the-myth-of-mental-math/ Last Friday, a full four and a half months after my doctor wrote the order for me to get some routine blood tests, I finally schlepped the two blocks to Lutheran Hospital to get it done. It wasn’t that I am cowardly about getting my blood drawn. After two pregnancies and ... http://mamasays.org/2006/02/14/happy-heart-day/