Karen's Journey

Here we are, four kids, our significant others, and all our kids, squished into 2100 square feet of house for five days. My mother turned 80 on Monday, so in addition to Thanksgiving, we are celebrating that momentous occasion with a dinner out tonight, which means an extra long stay for us. We know better. We know the dysregulation that comes with endless hours of movie watching and other screen time. But it was either two day trips out in one week or just stay here and make the best of it. T's big cousins brought out their Wii system. And T took to it like a fish takes to water. Yesterday he was playing even after everyone had wandered away. So I thought I would pick up one of the remotes and play with him. It was the first chance I'd had at sitting with him to play. I should have known better. If he "wins" in anything, he feels superior to me and disrespects my role as his parent. I hear that it makes him feel not safe if he feels like he's bett...

Dear Martie, We went to a state school near the border of Canada, when we made beer runs to our neighbors to our north, not because we weren't legal in our state, but because they had the good beer over the bridge -- and passports weren't needed. I've been back once since and have had no interest in going back because I really didn't like the college, the education, or the career "services" I received from it. I have a few good friends and a lot of funny memories, but it in the end, it wasn't really a good fit for me. Or for you, since you dropped out after your junior year. You wanted to major in business and they didn't have that major. Guess what? They do now. "Business administration." How's that for a kick in the pants? They added a writing track to the English major the year after I left. Again, a kick in the pants. We were just ahead of our time. So, nope, no interest in returning. A depressing school in a depressing town. Cl...