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Monthly Archives: April 2011

Up Close and Personal at the Great Cloth Diaper Change 2011

For generations advertising has whittled away at moms’ confidence in cloth diapers, convincing them that disposables are a gift from God. I don’t think so! And neither do all the folks who turned out for the Great Cloth Diaper Change 2011, held Saturday, April 23, at 400 locations world-wide.

As of Monday, the count stands at 4, 928 cloth diapers changed simultaneously in six countries – Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States – for the purpose setting the world record. Continue reading

What Would You Do if Your Child Were Being Bullied—By a Teacher?

The topic of bullying gets a lot of ink these days—bullies on the playground, on the school bus and in the cafeteria. But what if the bully in your kid’s life is a teacher?

The truth is, most teachers don’t bully. But my kids, who were always pretty outspoken, have been bullied as much by their teachers as their peers.

At first I couldn’t believe it was happening. My kids were telling me things I couldn’t quite see. But when the teachers just made excuses or blew off my questions, I knew I had to do something. The solution, like the ending of a novel, wasn’t always a happy one. Continue reading

Leave the House during a Teenager’s Party? I Don’t Even Want to Think About it.

The minute I hear Dee’s* voice I know she’s trouble.  “Are you busy?” she asks.

“I’m always busy,” I say.  “Shoot.”

“Today is Sam’s* birthday. He wants me to leave the house for his party.”

I choke on a spoonful of Greek yogurt.  “So how old is he?” I ask.

Dee is whispering now. “He’s eighteen. The party’s going to start in a little while. What should I do?” Continue reading

Relax into the Familiar

There is something comforting about familiar things. They keep us from feeling lost in an ever-changing world. We see the same curtains and coffee maker when we wake up. We look for the same mailman, the same cracks in the sidewalk that have been there forever. Not because we are materialistic, but because we are nurtured by sameness and routine.

When I take my shoes to the shoe repairman, I know I’ll be seeing them again, restored to a new wholeness.  The dining table where we eat is the same one my husband made before we had kids, before they marred the finish with their little forks and cookie cutters.  And I keep rehabbing my 1979 Singer sewing machine, the one I used to sew size-two dresses and coveralls, and now use to make toys for my grandson. Continue reading