It's soccer season for many of our kids and this takes a lot of family commitment.  Every weekend belongs partially to soccer and for some families there are weekday practices as well.  During my many hours on the field, I've been noticing and appreciating the fathers who volunteer their time and effort by coaching the kids.  This takes a lot of work.  I know because my…

We recently went on a family vacation to Jamaica and it gave me time to reflect on the importance of family vacations, whether they are simple or extravagant.  Stepping away from real-life stressors for a while can be critical to appreciating the joys of family.  The kids fought less because they were excited and distracted.  We adults were also very relaxed because there was…

Allergy season is here again, though for some it never left.  Both my kids have horrible seasonal allergies.  I guess they inherited it from me and my husband, but mostly from me.  All day today I've been dealing with a major headache despite taking my Allegra.  The allergies just drain you and hit hardest at the beginning of the season when you're not quite sure what you're…

Yesterday at the park, I noticed a child rolling down a hill.  She laid herself flat on the grass, rolled all the way down then got up smiling and ran up to do it again.  My first reaction to this was 'oh gross!' because I kept thinking about the dirt and bugs and possible animal poop on the grass.  Then, suddenly I had a distant memory of doing the same thing dozens of times…