The Bachelorette — Helping Me Teach My Daughter the REAL Facts of Life

– Posted in: Elfie, Growing Up, Mawage, Media, Mouths of Babes, Parenting, Personal Insanity, TV, Unsolicited Advice, Worst Mom Randomness
The Facts of Life from the Bachelorette

"What are you watching?" My 9-year-old daughter has just caught me watching The Bachelorette. Normally this is an activity I'd reserve for after the kids have gone to bed, but it's summer, and "after they've gone to bed" is practically when I go to bed. "It's called The Bachelorette. It's a horrible, horrible show where [...]

Why I Leaned Out and Skipped BlogHer

– Posted in: Blogging, Bright Side of Life, Elfie, Family, Growing Up, Me Time, Parenting, Personal Insanity, Sappy Tammy, Women's Issues, Writing
Why I'm Happy Leaning Out

I've never been to BlogHer. I didn't go this year for numerous reasons. For one, I've lived through two Illinois summers and suffered through multiple visits that always seemed to coincide with a heatwave, and lately I'm against torturing myself if I can help it. For two (I know that's wrong, but does anyone know [...]

If They Could Just Stay Little — How to Make a Memory

– Posted in: Elfie, Getting Older, Growing Up, Mouths of Babes, Parenting, Personal Insanity, Sappy Tammy, Worst Mom Moments
Little girl on beach. Caption: You'll always be my little

"I'm having that feeling again." My 9-year-old daughter has her arms wrapped around my waist. One cheek is pressed against my stomach. I've just spent the last hour reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to her and her brother, and now I'm trying to extricate myself from the area. She's gotten out of bed [...]

Baseball Makes Me Want to Fall Asleep in My Cracker Jacks. But I Still Go Anyway.

– Posted in: Bright Side of Life, Elfie, Family, Mouths of Babes, Personal Insanity, Sports, Things To Do with Kids, This Is Supposed to be Fun, Worst Mom Randomness
Family at Reno Aces Game

The other night, we went to a baseball game. Reno has a Triple-A team called the "Aces" (original, right?), and my friend gave us some really good tickets. One of these days, my kids will go to a game where they have to sit where "normal" people sit. So far, every game they've attended has [...]

Turns Out I Can Camp, Cook, and Not Get Eaten by a Bear

– Posted in: Bright Side of Life, Chronic Pain, Elfie, Parenting, Personal Insanity, School, The Great Outdoors, Vacation, Worst Mom Randomness
Back of Honda Pilot stuffed with camping gear

Last night, Elfie and I went camping at Lake Tahoe with her 3rd grade class. It's an end-of-the-year tradition, and even though I wasn't that jazzed about the idea of going up without my husband, I did because she really wanted to take me, not Dad. I don't mean to be a wimp, but honestly, [...]

Puerto Vallarta Vacation: The Good, The Bad, and The TSA Agent

– Posted in: Bright Side of Life, Elfie, Family, First World Problems, Jasper, Losin' It, Mean People, Newt, Personal Insanity, Things To Do with Kids, Travel, Vacation, Worst Mom Randomness, Worst Mom Rants
Boy riding floating blue seal raft in swimming pool

So we're back from Mexico. We failed to get pictures of us swimming with dolphins, ate one of the best meals of our lives, and almost got in a fist fight with a TSA agent. Just your typical spring break... A little background: Tenzin, my husband, and I made the monumentally bad decision to purchase [...]

When Barbie Looks Fat and Frumpy, You Know We’re in Trouble

– Posted in: Complaining, Elfie, Growing Up, Mean Girls, Parenting, Sex, Shopping Hell, Tammy Thinks, Women's Issues, Worst Mom Rants
monster-high-dolls

I was in Target today, just cruising because I'd hit one of those dead-time points in the day when you can't go home but it's too early to pick up the kids, and I found myself in the toy section (for reasons I myself still can't understand). Anyway, I was checking out the Monster High [...]

Kids Know Awards for Everyone are Stupid. Because They’re not Stupid.

– Posted in: Elfie, Mouths of Babes, Newt, Parenting, School
Do awards for everyone ever motivate kids

The kids turned in their science fair projects last week. Neither of them made it to "the big show," but that wasn't a huge surprise. Motivating kids in this department has been historically. . . frustrating. They basically procrastinate for two months, decide last minute that they want to do a "great job," and then [...]

Science Fair Projects Kids Can Do Themselves. Sort Of. Or Not.

– Posted in: Elfie, Green Living, Homework, Newt, School, Things To Do with Kids, Worst Mom Randomness
Last Minute Science Fair Projects

The science fair was this week, and I've never been so happy to finish "projects that I'm not involved in." While it's lovely in theory to allow your child to conduct and then create a presentation of an entire project on his/her own, the practical execution of said theory never shakes out the way you [...]

How to Teach Kids about Sex: Go See Les Mis and Leave the Kids with Dad

– Posted in: Elfie, Mouths of Babes, Movies, Newt, Parenting, Personal Insanity, Sex, Tenzin, Thank God Your Father's Home, TV, Worrying, Worst Mom Reviews
les-miserables-film-hathaway

I went and saw Les Miserables with a girlfriend the other night. It was an amazing movie, but for some reason, I still feel like I could just nitpick it to pieces. I'm starting to think this could be my calling -- professional life nitpicker. Too bad I can't get someone to pay me for that... [...]