kids
My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Costa Rica 22 years ago. It was our first international trip together, and while the stunning beaches, sloth sightings, and lava flowing down the side of a volcano left us awe-struck, we also appreciated seeing each other experience these new things together.As…
I left home for college at age 17, then spent over a decade living several states away from my family.By my late 20s, I had built a life in San Francisco with my husband while my family was settled back in the Pacific Northwest.However, after four years in the Bay…
Growing up, my sisters and I had no opportunities for family trips or exciting travel adventures. Mom didn’t know how to drive, and Dad was out on the road all week as a salesman. For us, an exciting, adventurous family trip was to the grocery store when Dad finally got…
I am fortunate to be able to travel with my children often. However, sometimes the travel bug bites, but I don’t have the time, energy, or budget for a true vacation. When that happens, I plan a staycation close to our home in Washington, DC. Although staycations admittedly don’t have…
A few years ago, I decided to take my three kids to Paris on a summer trip. When I started planning our itinerary, I reviewed a bunch of “best things to do in Paris with kids” lists and consulted with other parents who’d visited with their families.Since this was my…
Growing up, I always told my parents I was never getting married or having kids. It was a blow to them, because I’m an only child and they were really looking forward to being grandparents.Fast forward many decades, and I met my now-husband, who changed my mind. I saw him…
My grandmother is a pianist. As often happens, the pendulum swung the other way with my mom, who neither had an interest in taking piano lessons nor in making her kids do so. I vowed to throw the pendulum back the other way with my kids, enrolling them in piano…
After weeks of chatting on Tinder, my now-husband and I decided to meet in person. Days before our date, he texted me to ask if I was into baseball. I told him I had no idea about the sport, but I’d watch a game with him. That was 12 years…
I hear the question often: “Mom, can I have some money?” Whether it is for a trip to the mall or movies, my kids always seem to want more. I have four kids, two daughters and two sons. My older son, Zach, is 21; my older daughter, Cam, is 19;…
Last Christmas, I started taking silly photos with my kids, using Snapchat filters. My two children — ages 12 and 8 — had fun choosing different backgrounds, making funny faces, playing around with filters, and playing the interactive games on Snapchat, which are kind of cute. It was also cool…
