eatthefrostingfirst

Dear 2019, You didn't take the 15 lbs I begged you to take. I tried compromising. I told you that I would've been fine with just 10. But here we are again. Resoluting for my 16th year to lose weight. (If resoluting is not a word, it really should be) Ironic that I've been wanting to lose weight for the same amount of years I've been a mother?  I don’t think so. You continue to give me hot flashes. And migraines. I blame my cancer meds. Because I can. I blame everything on cancer. Dear 2019 You were okay to me but not so kind to others. You gave a friend cancer. And another. And another. And even my dog. But you also gave me another year with my aging Mom. Another trip around the sun with two of my most favorite children in the entire world. And favorite husband. And favorite dog. I got to walk along beaches and listen to waves I sailed on the ocean went to the theatre cheered on my favorite sports team experienced a heat wave picke...

You know how you cannot remember what you needed in Target? And you walk out with 15 things and get home, and you realize you didn't buy the one thing you needed? And you know how you can remember every word to the Air Supply song that helped you get over your broken heart, but don't know a thing they are singing in today's music? And you know how you remember childhood friends more than you remember some of your college acquaintances? It's because those childhood friends are a part of who you are today. Perhaps you drifted from the person who you had endless playdates with after school. Maybe you went off to different high schools or circled in different circles. Sometimes that happens. You change. They change. It's par for the course. But you know what's kind of cool? That when you're a grown up and you are on social media you can reconnect with those childhood friends. If you want. I wanted. She wanted. We reminisced about our gra...

I am by no means a saint. There are people I do not like. I gossip with my besties. I am constantly ripping on news reporters and TV shows that aren't being realistic. I yell at my kids more than I care to admit. I sometimes yell at the dog. (In my defense, why does she need to circle 8 times before she finds a place to do her business? In the freezing cold?) I lose my patience easily. But I think I have a good heart. I have a tremendous amount of empathy. It's really not that difficult to be kind. Remember the old saying "if you dont have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" Again. No saint. But usually if I don't have anything nice to say I bite my tongue (and maybe will then say it later to my husband, or best friend) No saint. HOWEVER this making fun of people with disabilities is just beyond being mean. It is really inhumane. Who on earth raised you to think you are better than someone else? How about, for just a sec...

As I sit in my house on this sleety snowy rainy miserable ass day, I ponder. It’s what I do. Seriously if I’m listing things I excel at- pondering is right up there with obsessing and over analyzing. Today my ponder is about the elderly. My mom is my bff. If you were a fly in our house from the ages of 12-18 you may be laughing your ass off right now. But it’s true. We survived the teen years (there is hope for me and my boys) And she became my best friend. (Not to diminish my other BFF since the age of 9; who is a BFF in a completely different capacity) So mom became my go to person. No date on a Saturday night? No problem. We went to the movies. Crying I was still single on my 30th birthday? Spa day with Mom. This only accelerated when I became a mom myself. Kid coughing? Not eating? Making me a premature gray haired woman? Called mom. Hourly. My mother is now 90. She is not the person she was; which is often heartbreaking. Yet, there are many times that she...

I haven't slept in over 2 weeks. Ok ,it's a slight exaggeration but not totally out there. I'm blaming my jaw (TMJ) and my 35 years of migraine suffering. I thought it was my pillow. New pillow did not solve the issue. I blamed my stress level - which is funny because really my stress level is higher because of my no sleep. Sleeping aids not helping. Nothing is helping. I'm starting(started) to lose my shit. But then Pete Frates died at the age of 34, from ALS. And tomorrow is the anniversary of the Sandy Hook Shooting. And a freshman from Barnard just got shot and killed by a 13 year old (that age is not a typo) And the president of our country is tweeting/bullying a 16 year old. So I paused and tried to put things into perspective. That's the thing isn't it? Your life can seem really crappy until you hear about other stuff and you have to say to yourself.. GET A GRIP Your lack of sleep (even if the jaw pain and the headache behind ...

Why is one of my top news stories talking about  Nick Jonas getting a puppy Does Candace Cameron Bure spend months on end just making Hallmark Christmas movies? Does anyone make/eat stuffing other than on Thanksgiving? Is it weird that I'm counting down til my kids are 18 so I can stop worrying about what to make for dinner? Is Tom Hanks really as amazing as he appears? Remember when people used to have to call each other to "talk?'" #lifebeforetext Every year it amazes me that  stores have  a small corner, IF THAT,  dedicated to Hanukkah "stuff". (One of life's struggles as a Jew) How can I get a migraine when I'm sleeping? 2 years of braces as a kid and at 51 I'm being told I need them again. What was the point? I wonder if parenting gets easier? I wonder if I will ever stop worrying? (That last one made me laugh out loud)

Dear friend I know today wasn’t perfect. You dove into the Halloween bag that’s been sitting in the pantry, your kid had a rough day at school (which as we know, means you are feeling the pain), you didn’t get to the gym and you got a flat tire. While waiting at the auto shop, you decided to browse social media and see what Patty, Tracey and Sam are all up to. Perfect lives are splashed across your page. Oh look at Patty’s gorgeous children (who apparently were celebrating at a dinner out because of their stellar report cards). Arms around their parents in their adorable vineyard vine button down plaid shirts. Sam is in Aruba (she’s always somewhere, it seems). She is so lucky to have that figure. She probably never dives into the old Halloween bag of candy and doesn’t miss a day at the gym. Tracey’s son made the football team and is off to a “big party”. He is loving “every second of highschool” and here he is with his group of friends. None of this has cheered you up. As a ...

There was a time 2009 to be exact when it was the week before thanksgiving and my hot water tank blew. We had gone 5 days without bathing (don't judge) and the part to fix it was set to arrive the Monday before Thanksgiving. Let's just say it didn't. And resulted in a lot of back and forth calls to idiot company with a very aggravated woman (that would be me) because I was to host Turkey Day and refused to be smelly. The part arrived the day before Thanksgiving and thank goodness I have a handy husband who installed it himself and lo and behold- hot water! There was another time 2010 to be exact where I went to set the oven to "self clean"  and forgot to take out the oven liner (you know those sheets you buy so that when things spill, it spills onto the liner. You know, to make clean up easier) So yup- this didn't make clean up easier. Because it disintegrated as my oven was self cleaning. Causing a nasty stench in my house for hours and black p...

I have a box. It’s satin like and kind of a greenish blue hue- it’s tied with a bow. It sits in my closet up high on a shelf that I can barely reach on my tippy toes. I like it that way. I know it’s there but I have not opened it in years. It’s not as painful w but still so emotional. I opened it up when given to me but then not again for two years. I was never ready. I knew once I opened it a flood of tears were to follow. And I didn’t need any more reminders because I lived with the pain daily. It has been 16 years since I was given the box . It is filled with a hospital band, a small lock of hair, a card filled with condolences from the nurses and a hand knitted baby blanket that swaddled him- the same blanket I held him in as I said goodbye. Oldest doesn’t even know if the box. The one that holds his twin brothers only belongings. The only physical things that tie me to my first born. He was my baby. I held those babies inside of me for 27 weeks 6 days 20 hours My twi...

Dear 60 minutes, Dateline, Today Show, Nightly News, whoever may listen this is a story you need to feature. This is a story of dial up modems, life before smartphones, and when chat rooms were being put to good use. In 2001, I was a newlywed, 33 years old, and having trouble conceiving a child. Infertility was not widely talked about "back in the olden days" and I was alone. Or so I felt. I was surrounded by pregnant friends and  baby showers and never have I felt so helpless and hopeless. I had 3 failed IVF cycles  under my belt at the time, and did not know anyone in my situation. That's when the beauty of my computer came in. I found many others were doing the same. We started out one day putting in a search engine "infertility" or, in my case, "struggling to conceive." And there, a world opened up on my screen. A world which not only supported me but also embraced me. Why? They had been there. They were there. TTC (Trying to...

Someone, a while ago ,questioned why I chose not to go to a get together. Was I ok? I am okay, thank you. Does my not going out mean I am not okay? I was always ESFJ It's who I was. (You know- Myers Briggs Personality Test.) No matter how many times I took them. There I was ESFJ Extrovert Sensing Feeling Judgment I am confident I am still the SFJ (And lord knows  I am judgmental as much as I preach that I shouldn't be. ) And I will talk to anyone who passes me by But now days- give me my oversized sweats and a couch and I'm a happy camper. So does that mean I am more introverted now that I'm older? Because I'm choosing couch over party? Family over friends? And does that make me an introvert? And is being an introvert a negative? I think our values change as we age. (And thank goodness because there was a time I thought it was imperative my social life start at 10pm. IMAGINE? I am lucky if I am still in a bra past 6PM!) The said get tog...

I have a 3 month trial of SIRIUS XM and totally rocked out today to Da do ron ron. I am old AF. I do not know a single song on Pop2k but know every lyric to the songs on the 70's and 80's station. I haven't a clue how to work snapchat, google docs or how to post an insta-story but I am a great typist due to my expertise in ASDF;LKJ (thanks to typing class being a requirement in 1985) and am proud of myself for just figuring out my blue tooth. I prefer a real book over a kindle have never committed to watching an entire series on Netflix haven't the faintest idea how to work Apple TV and had to ask youngest what it meant to be a VSCO girl. I think I am in denial we are almost in the year 2020. I remember trying to figure out how old I would be when Y2K happened and couldn't imagine being the old age of 32. What would the world be like in the 2000's? Here we are where our president of our country is a moron where the Duggars are still appearing in...

As I store up on the 100 grand mini  bars and ring in Halloween a part of me gets sad. In 2003, my twin boys were supposed to be born on Halloween. Things did not go as planned, as many of you know, and they made their early arrival in August instead. Zachary never got to wear a pumpkin hat but but oldest wore his in the nicu, accompanied but a pumpkin onesie. It has been 16 years since our NICU days but they may have well have been yesterday. For 6 months we celebrated holidays in the hospital including Halloween, Thanksgiving,  Hanukkah and ringing in 2004. For 6 months we spent each day driving into Boston to spend hours with our baby and drove home to spend our nights worrying about him. It was a cold day at the end of January when we were allowed to bring him home. We had lined up nursing care (they only way we could get discharged with a child on a ventilator) but they could not start for a few days. We refused to wait and were confident we would be fine....

One of youngest's favorite makes him laugh story is when he was in the IKEA playspace and I got "paged". He was toilet training and after months of refusing to go- he finally went- at IKEA. It's longer and funnier than all that but that's not my point. My point is I used to be able to write funny stories about my boys. Or I would write about how hard parenting toddlers is. But now they are teens. And have voices. And they are entitled to their privacy. So I wouldn't dream of writing anything about them that would make them feel uncomfortable. (Not that when they were 3 and potty training I wanted to embarrass them -but they were such cute stories back then. It didn't even dawn on me that at some point they may not want the world to know the IKEA story. Thankfully youngest doesn't really care) There are many stories I would like to share. But they aren't so cute anymore. Some are heart-wrenching to me as a Mom. (Note: I'm uber...

I was awoken at 3:27 AM with a migraine. Or maybe it was from the damned wrist splint I have to wear for my tendinitis. Or my back pain that’s creeped into my butt. Whatever it is, I blame the cancer meds. Because I can. This is us. Did you watch? William and the seltzer water? My mind doesn’t shut off easily. I’m afraid of a lot. Lightening. Flying (since I became a Mom) Skunks Home invasions (thanks ADT for comforting me) Egg salad (a trauma when I was 6) My kids HS homework I’ve also had panic attacks. What do I worry about? Funny question. Answer : everything. I had my first attack at 17. They’re very real. Heart racing, unable to catch your breath, and many times I’ve had to breathe into a paper bag. We didn’t talk about anxiety much back then. I’m so happy it’s now part of a conversation. William talks about anxiety being like seltzer water. “She'd fill a glass with seltzer water and tell me that my mind was like the bubbles bouncing around inside, trying to...

Friends Friends Friends We will always be Weather in fair or in dark stormy weather... I don't remember the rest Or maybe that was the end of the song. We sang it at camp a few times. Was having lunch with a close friend today and we got to talking about our teens. We all have the same hopes as they navigate these waters. We hope that they walk with good people. We hope as they try to figure out who they are, that they keep close to their hearts what is most important. And what would that be? At my wise old age of 51 I like to think I have infinite wisdom on the subject. I had besties in elementary school, another set in junior high and yup- a different set in HS. Did I change? Did they? I would think a little of both? And that's par for the course. We are constantly evolving at that age. As parents, we hope that the evolving thing keeps them grounded. We hope they realize that the cool kids may not actually be so cool to hang around. We hope they...

Hi Mom of screaming toddler I saw you at Target today in your yoga pants and baseball hat. I know you are just counting the hours until nap time. A quick trip to Target for essentials turned into a full out tantrum in the toy aisle. We've all been there so don't worry if you felt like you were failing as your little man single handedly destroyed the puzzle section. Those stares were just to make sure you were okay and to empathize. Nap time is only an hour away. You got this. I don't want to burst your bubble or anything but it really doesn't get easier. Oh sure. They wipe their own butts but you're still telling them to wipe their faces. Broccoli struggles? Yup. Eating the colors of the rainbow was easier when they were in pull ups. Terrible two's had nothing on the tantrum-y threes. Doing the woot woot in between the "where did my baby go tears" as they hop onto the school bus for Kindergarten? Soon you will have independent readi...

Once upon a time there was a girl in her 20's She was generally happy with friends and a decent job but she wanted to be loved (like many girls in their 20's are longing for) Her friends all had boyfriends and she felt like the lonely ugly step sister. Her self confidence a bit low so she grasped on to what she could. He was the typical bad boy who gave her attention and made her feel special So what could it hurt? She had a scheduled Saturday night date and late night phone calls and long stemmed roses being sent to her workplace; just because. The step sister became Cinderella but with a heavy price to pay Because she knew the bad boy was just that But what could it hurt? She wasn't going to marry this boy. He knew that. It was an understanding. This was all just for fun. Until it wasn't fun. Because the bad boy had a drug problem. And a child. And Cinderella was soon playing therapist and step mom and rehab counselor She was a d...

Dear Me It's almost the holidays. A time which may bring you a bit of angst. It was a week before Christmas when you found your lump. It was Christmas eve when awesome surgeon called to tell you that, it was indeed, invasive cancer. It was then where you continued on with your pizza date night with youngest and then cried in the fetal position later that night. You couldn't do it, you told DH. You couldn't lose your hair. No more surgeries. Chemo meant this shit was real. But you knew that. The minute you heard cancer. Again. Dear Me I am almost two years of No Evidence of Cancer. I am less anxious (but don't let me fool you. Still anxious. Always anxious) In two years I have spoken to countless of others who have been newly diagnosed. Walking the walk. Scared as hell. Knowing their shit just got real. Today is Yom Kippur. It is the day, as jews, we atone for our sins. We ask for forgiveness. It is also a day to look ahead. To start anew. ...

I think, as parents, we all want the same thing for our kids. To be happy and healthy. To feel loved and to be able to give love. To feel confident and secure with themselves. To be kind. I think, as parents, our hope is that they find happiness in what they set out to do. To feel a part of something, whatever that something may be. To stick up for themselves. To stick up for others. I am a mom of two teenaged boys and this parenting teen thing is not for the faint of heart. I am swept back in time to my highschool years and feel instantly ill. How do I fit in? Where do I belong? Do I listen to my heart or my head? And why are they saying two different things? Will I ever need to know geometry outside of this HS building? I am a worrier. (I blame genetics.) And I am trying so hard to let my children choose their own friends and navigate their own waters. I try to gently give advice (which as we know is only received by eye rolls and mumbles under the breath) I ...

Hello October Hello Pinktober Hello waking up to the TODAY show donned in pink. It's wonderful. Really it is. Mammograms save lives. We need to be aware. We need to know it's okay to discuss things like dense breasts and self breast exams. We need to let people know that if the cancer is caught early- there are great odds of survival. But the words I despise are being thrown around: Blessed Journey Survivor Cancer is no blessing (in spite of it giving me a good kick of a reminder to not give a shit sometimes and eat the frosting first!) My year of treatment (and my 8 years prior with cancer) was by in no means a freakin journey And I refuse to call myself a survivor even though I know damn well that I am one. I, of course, am very well aware that  my outcome could be worse. But I know people who have metastatic breast cancer I know people who have died from breast cancer. I am guessing you may too. Pinktober is about awareness but it also needs to be...

I wonder at what point I will stop watching Law and Order SVU reruns? When did "I'm good" replace "no thank you" How have I never gotten sick from eating raw cookie dough? How have I managed to even make cookies after all the raw cookie dough that I eat? I really should be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune How often should I be washing my bras? I decided when I need a good laugh I hang out at the beach and watch people try to set up their tents and umbrellas. I used to be such a people person. And then I realized I'm really more of a stay at home in my pj's person. #Thisis52 I think I'm going to try keto (while putting a handful of M and M's in my mouth) When did the oldies station start playing 90's music? I think I could really be friends with the Today show hosts. Dylan, Jenna and Siri  are totally my people Will I ever sleep soundly again now that my kid will soon be driving? (And then I laugh and realize I haven'...

A friend reached out to me asking if I knew of any cancer support groups. I immediately knew that all the hospitals have support groups for survivors and those living with cancer. I knew of LIVESTRONG and their ties to the YMCA. No. Not that kind of support group, she said. The kind where people just get it. That's the thing. The support groups where you go into the hospital (where you had all your treatment) (where you get flashbacks and hot flashes the second you step into said hospital) the groups where you sit around with a cup of coffee talking about..  how exercise is important how you need to do your follow up visits how you should be eating less ice cream and more kale and almonds That's not the support group we always crave. (Relax. They’re totally needed. Just not always what we want) The groups we often DO want? I have no sex drive My fake boob doesn't fit into my bra I have more GI problems than my spouse wants to hear about I want to puke...

It's almost Pinktober. A month I used to not hate ( but now I hate) Because I don't need Pinktober to remind me about breast cancer. I've been NED for almost 2 years (!!) but there's not a day (I know. Depressing... Not a day) that I don't think of cancer. Don't worry- it's not like every day I'm sitting worrying about cancer during my Law and Order reruns. It's just that every day; I'm reminded of it. (Because I now have a body that's kind of hard to not scream YOU HAD CANCER) In the past month I've heard of two new people being diagnosed with cancer. This isn't surprising. It's a freakin epidemic. I'm not sure if it's my age. One day we are all out celebrating new marriages and arrivals of babies And the next we are discuss aching backs (knees, necks, feet)  mammograms (colonoscopies, prostate tests) and the need for reading glasses. That's how it works with cancer. One day you're bitching ...

When I became a mom, my own mom said to me "You're only as happy as your saddest child" Which, at the time, made me ponder... and thought well that's depressing but ain't it the god damned truth? This worry stuff never freakin' stops. And if you're a worrier to begin with like you all know that I am it's like a 1000 on a scale of 1-100 Seriously I could be putting the money on therapy and meds towards a vacation to St John Damn you children What I would not GIVE for a day of worrying about a poopy diaper. Sleep deprived because they were up all night with colic?  BRING IT!  You toddler years have nothing on these teenage years. And boys? Don't think you are getting anything other than a "fine" "good" and "nothing" out of them because apparently nothing goes on during 8 hours of highschool.  And don't ask a question. Seriously, don't bother  because you ...

Women’s bathroom stalls without hooks for your bag (I refuse to put it on the floor and it’s not easy squatting with a purse to hang on to!!) People who don’t say thank you People who screw up my kids McDonald’s order (seriously how hard is it to get a plain burger with just onions?) Alex Diprato from WHDH (sorry dude- you are the worst reporter) The fact that I’m 51 and can’t stop picking at my nails The fact that my sons both pick at their nails The need to vacuum my car Winter in Boston. Winter in general Snow Olives The fact that I cannot get up from the couch, out of bed, or out of a car without an "oy" Ignorance The fact that I own so many CD's and have nothing to play them on People that bring their dogs to the mall  Ironing People who do not return the shopping cart People who stand too close to you in line It's kind of surprising me that I could keep going on with this list  sadly, it probably does not su...

Try not to go to bed mad but if you do,  it gives you a fresh perspective the next morning. Sometime in your future the hi light of your day will be going to Target by yourself. When you say you're sorry, say it like you mean it. And then mean it. Don't make fun of your mother needing her reading glasses. What goes around comes around. Spend the extra money on a good set of sheets. Put the toilet seat down. And change the roll while you're at it. Your first love will break your heart.  One day you will realize she was NOT the one. That said, you will never forget your first love and every time you hear YOUR song come on, you will be taken back in time instantaneously. Crossword puzzles and playing scrabble are good exercises for your mind. Wear SPF 50. Skin cancer is real. Try not to be bored by your grandparents stories. There will be a time that you crave to hear their voice tell you one. Always wash your towels in warm water. Kindness beats cool...

Sometimes I cannot believe I'm a grown up. Like I am the person who makes medical decisions for my family. I am the person who is in charge of the two younger humans in my household. MIND BLOWING. I realize I am 51 years old so this totally qualifies me as an adult but I don't often (read: ever) feel like one. Except when I have a killer migraine (which I do) (and realize I should not be in front of a computer) (but I have things to say) (like telling you about what led to my killer migraine) So I awake early to bring Wilsey (our beloved 8 year old goldendoodle) to the vet for her surgery. For those not following along my dog has cancer. It's a bad title for a bad joke because of course my dog has cancer. I get it twice so clearly it's going to keep on giving somehow. They had thought it was a carcinoma but turns out it's sarcoma (for those fluent in the oncology world- sarcoma is worse in this case) They had to amputate her toe and we are hoping it ...

This is it. End of summer. Honestly I start marking end of summer August 1st because it flies so quickly after that. I've tried desperately to hold on to it but the calendar and father time are not playing well with others. So here we have it Almost September. If you are a parent, you probably mark the start of the year in September like I do (January 1st as far as I'm concerned is just the beginning of the calendar) So, new years is here. Soon the yellow buses will be crowding our streets once again. When my kids were little I wrote a piece for SCARY MOMMY and got reamed (I mean reamed) out by other parents who did not understand my native tongue of sarcasm. I was hung out to dry by the perfect parents calling me an alcoholic when I talked about a need for a drink the day school let out. Told I didn't deserve to have children by the perfect peeps when I said I was tired of listening to my kid say "mommy watch me" after the 100th time. Thankfull...

Youngest turned 14 yesterday which is an alarm signal for me to realize that camp is ending in 2 1/2 weeks. For those who have never experienced the "re- entry" let me tell you how it often goes. As you drive into camp- do not think for a nanosecond that your son/daughter will be excited to see you.  (Unless they are 9 and even then mine ran from me. True story. RAN FROM ME. His counselor had to wrangle him up to even say hello to me) Those tears you see? The kids holding onto each other for dear life?  Don't panic. No one has been seriously injured- that is just your child not wanting to leave their summer family. The girls will be openly sobbing and hyperventilating while the boys will just be wiping away tears with their sweaty t-shirts. Campers and counselors will be walking around arm and arm, pretending that you are not there to take them home. You will be doing the lifting of the duffle bags while your said camper is saying goodbye. This may take 10 min...

As we approach August 7th I am always brought back in time. A time when I was pregnant with two baby boys . Two babies who kicked in utero for 28 weeks. And one baby survived. My baby is now turning 16 and I do not take a day of his existence for granted. Okay. I mean, I do get annoyed with him at times but he's a teenager so; par for the course. But truly, this kid is my miracle. I always knew how fragile he was after birth. I didn't need an MD after my name to realize his life was going to be a tough one in the beginning. The tubes and wires kind of gave that away. What I didn't realize What I didn't know Until much later Is that my son almost died. He was a sick baby. A very sick baby. The NICU mantra is "one step forward, two steps back" and we lived that dance move for a very long time. He was constantly faced with obstacles such as collapsed lungs and being unable to make it off a ventilator (which challenged us to living 19 months ...

Summer time is one of my favorite times. I love the beach, sunshine, ice cream and not worrying about if my kids did their homework. We all are just more chill in general. I've been feeling crappy the past few weeks (nothing major) but enough to put a wrench into the time I'm supposed to be enjoying. And I was thinking back to 2 summers ago when I was also having summer ripped from me (but obviously in a way more serious way) And then I started to reflect. Which I do. OFTEN. I was talking to a friend the other day and we were both saying how life after cancer is way harder than life during cancer. And I've written about this before but I just do not think people can understand how that can be. So I'm here to try to explain. During cancer we are on this adrenaline called scared shitless. And we just go. Because there is no other choice than to go. We go to our oncologist appointments, for blood work and scans, for radiation, chemo, and surgeries. We are...

I realize that I do a lot of "back in the day" camp posts. It's because I see camp through the eyes of my youngest child now and well, "back in the day" things were different. Not necessarily better; just different. So when I see that some of the top DJ's are doing their thing at camp this summer I cannot help to think back to the day... Circa 1980 and fuses were being blown in the bunks because of the over use of hair dryers and curling irons. We were teasing our perms to make them fuller and higher and loves baby soft was being spritzed through the bunks. It was Saturday night and it was time for the social. We put on our best outfits and headed down the road anticipating the transformation of the old rec hall. The social always had a theme ("Reunited" by Peaches and Herb," Best of Times" by Styx, "Always and Forever" by whoever sang Always and Forever) Girls lined up against the walls of the old Rec Hall (and by w...

Visiting day circa 1977. My first year at overnight camp. I wore my matching aqua izod shirt and shorts. I hated that outfit with a passion and wore it only once the entire 8 weeks. Visiting day. Because my Mom made me pack that god forsaken outfit and knew she would want me to be wearing it. She also made me take tennis as an optional (now called elective. Why the change? Is elective a better choice of word than optional?) I swore that I would never make my kid take an "elective" that he didn't want to take. (Tennis is now part of a bunk daily schedule. I'm all for kids learning tennis. He will not, however, be the next Roger Federer ) We waited in our bunks like herds of cattle anticipating the blowing of the whistle. Hundreds of children then ran down a paved road, screaming, looking for their parents. I remember being so excited to see my my mom and dad that the tears flowed instantly. I loved camp but I was 9 and the whole running down the road thin...

We all have good intentions. Okay. Maybe not us all. Because we know there are some really big donkey's behind peeps out there. But let's; for the sake of argument, go with "we all have good intentions" We hope to be kind. To pay it forward. To let the person waiting to make a left turn go in front of us. To not notify the Stop and Shop police when the woman with 13 items goes in the express line. We are hoping we are raising good little humans. Please and thank you. Holding the door open. Flush when you poop. Be inclusive. I believe we whole heartedly mean it when we say we are not sweating the small stuff. But some only mean it in the moment. For the day. Or maybe a week. I dont blame you. Our lives move on after those fleeing moments and we get caught up in our day to day drama. Because there are only oh so many times you can take it after removing your kids underpants out of his inside out pants while doing HIS laundry. (Hypothetically s...