tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52594386954124769492024-09-01T00:57:58.316-07:00Reflections on Motherhood that will help you feel a little bit better about yourselfAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-56199302297431555602013-09-14T01:57:00.000-07:002013-09-23T02:19:00.564-07:00

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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-78400116766245932262013-08-24T02:03:00.000-07:002013-09-23T02:18:45.160-07:00

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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-6168312236070814272013-08-10T02:05:00.000-07:002013-09-23T02:18:30.711-07:00

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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-81278493167382106892013-07-20T02:09:00.000-07:002013-09-23T02:19:13.968-07:00

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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-68496200345887133182012-11-28T23:22:00.001-08:002012-11-28T23:25:18.210-08:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on November 28, 2012: “Watch me, Mom!” Blake hollers as he tightrope walks along the six-foot-high wall dividing our house from the neighbors’. Blake dreams of being a Parkour athlete, and thus commutes through his six-year-old life like a monkey, leaping from couch to chair, trampoline to slide. It’s common for my jaunt to the washer and dryer to be

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-20351265496754694332012-11-21T09:49:00.001-08:002012-11-28T23:23:42.607-08:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on November 21, 2012: Few experiences in life are more rewarding than a kindergarten performance. Whatever hassles you endured in the camera charging and parking poaching arenas are worth it to get there. Because once your little munchkin marches onto the circle time carpet to wail Stevie Wonder-style, while picking his nose and doing the potty dance, you can’t

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-65277380556256279942012-11-15T08:22:00.001-08:002012-11-15T08:23:18.662-08:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on November 14th, 2012: It really bothered me that over two billion dollars was spent on the 2012 Presidential campaign -- until I heard that over two billion dollars is spent annually on Halloween candy. If we can invest so heartily in our children’s cavities, I suppose it’s only fair that we likewise endow the election of the leader of the free world.

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-85395559122755396762012-11-07T09:09:00.000-08:002012-11-13T09:13:27.197-08:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on November 8th, 2012: "You have to talk nice to me if you want me to sell your software," I tell my husband as we check our bags at the LAX Skycap. "What do you mean? I always talk nice to you," Michael says. PHOTO COURTESY MORGUEFILE.COM "Not when it comes to techie stuff. When I tell you the remote’s not working, you look at me like I just asked you

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-23130172274298296352012-11-02T09:07:00.000-07:002012-11-13T09:12:23.185-08:00

Family film review as published at The OC Register on November 2nd, 2012: Disney did not have to work too hard to ensure its latest feature "Wreck-It Ralph" will attract the wee players of the Wii generation, as the pitch for an animated film set in an arcade is a no-brainer. But the creators of what should prevail as the best animated feature of the year have exceeded expectations in producing

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-20282698677882760572012-10-31T09:05:00.000-07:002012-11-13T09:11:34.899-08:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on October 31st, 2012: Sugar, nightmares, strangers, and cavities: all the things a parent fears most. Yet tonight, otherwise sound-minded guardians across the country will doll up our rug rats in costly personas and send them out to beg so they can (hopefully) return home trembling with a prescription for tooth rot and love handles. Let’s hear it for

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-74494326428932994752012-10-26T09:03:00.000-07:002012-11-13T09:10:36.519-08:00

Family Film Review as published at The OC Register on October 26th, 2012: For the (well over) 13-year-old crowd who finds Halloween fun, flirty, and fatuous, "Fun Size" might fit the bill. It contains enough snappy dialogue and angst-filled gags to prevent boredom throughout its 90-minute run. But its not-so-fun problem will lie in its ability to find an age-appropriate audience. The featured

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-37337375516929484632012-10-24T21:08:00.001-07:002012-10-24T21:10:04.186-07:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on October 24th, 2012: It was a typical Sunday afternoon in my childhood home. His head tilted back, my dad's slack figure dented the cushions of the couch, his abandoned sports page dangling as he snored. My mom was off roasting or blending or kneading something in the kitchen. And my band of siblings and I were on the carpet, arguing over the comics and

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-75917485521162963022012-10-18T21:43:00.001-07:002012-10-18T22:00:46.105-07:00

So Hotel Transylvania won our household's vote for best "scary" (but not too much) fall movie. I guess the prospects of ParaNorman and Frankenweenie on DVD can RIP in this graveyard. (I felt both of those were better suited for the older crowd.) Check out my kids' cute Halloween costumes, "Mavis," "Bell Hop," and "Frank," straight from the Hotel Transylvania lobby... Not only are they cute, but

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-38023281542967018112012-10-18T11:44:00.001-07:002012-10-18T11:45:19.612-07:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on October 17th, 2012: The windows in the house next door have gone dark. The Moody family has moved on. They’ve been more than just neighbors for the past nine years; they’re like cousins — specifically the ones you hope show up early for Thanksgiving and stay later than everyone else because not only do they bring great pie and engage in thoughtful

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-74351042096560562052012-10-11T12:06:00.001-07:002012-10-11T12:08:12.575-07:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on October 10th, 2012: Our family is dealing with a loss. We’re trying to get back to normal, but what was normal life like before&nbsp;Siri? We met about a year ago when my husband surprised me with a perfect little box. Who needs Tiffany’s? This one was covered in apps. It was my long-awaited iPhone 4s. PHOTO COURTESY MORGUEFILE.COM I barely

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-11080667748367163082012-10-04T09:58:00.001-07:002012-10-04T10:02:48.990-07:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on October 3, 2012: “When we get home, let’s play house,” my 4-year-old Gracie says to her two fellow spandex-clad BFF’s as I drive them home from gymnastics. In unison, all three girls scream, “I get to be the mom!” Like it’s the President or something. Sure I can reach the top shelf and go to bed whenever I want, but have they forgotten that when we

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-50770583649458234842012-10-01T10:01:00.000-07:002012-10-04T10:02:12.868-07:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on Sept. 27th, 2012: Ever wonder what happened to the class clown from high school? Thanks to social media, you just might find out. Bill Leonard, former class clown, playing around with a few of his "Phive" kids. PHOTO COURTESY OF BILL LEONARD "Michael, check this out," I said, shoving Facebook in my husband’s face. "Bill Leonard is now a single

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-40326168374980467592012-09-20T22:27:00.001-07:002012-09-20T22:28:23.357-07:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on September 19th 2012: I’m all about saving a buck. But in hindsight, I realize some bucks would have been better spent. If my husband and I can survive the upcoming soccer season with our marriage still in tact, perhaps we’ll go back to coupon clipping. For now, we’re thinking one particular deal we encountered was too good to be true. PHOTO COURTESY

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-62196573124760194702012-09-12T12:03:00.001-07:002012-09-12T12:09:41.356-07:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on Sept. 12th, 2012: The Friday before the first day of the school plays out the same way every year in my town. A steady stream of sun-dressed moms drag their sweaty herds of offspring to our neighborhood school at 3:55 p.m. The mood around the class-posting zone is anxious, gnawing, clawing as 4 p.m. nears and&nbsp;The Listis solemnly walked out by a

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-8994191939029332082012-09-06T12:06:00.000-07:002012-09-12T12:10:10.761-07:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on September 5th, 2012: "Would you rather have a mansion or Stevie?" my son asks in yet another round of the kids' favorite car game. Bad timing, I think as I look back to see eight eager eyes awaiting my answer. We were on our way home from Strands beach where I had spent the afternoon coveting the row of $10 million oceanfront mansions — my favorite of the

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-23359837579154034152012-08-29T22:40:00.001-07:002012-08-29T22:42:00.539-07:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on August 29th, 2012: This year, we made back-to-school shopping a family affair. Which meant while my husband crammed four kids in a red Target cart and launched them down various aisles in an attempt to make and break new speed records, I spent two hours checking off lists over in school supply. Four Fiskar scissors, 30 glue sticks, and 96 Ticonderoga

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-56485669442647666902012-08-25T20:50:00.001-07:002012-08-25T20:51:58.902-07:00

as published at www.ocregister.com on August 24, 2012: In theory, it seemed like a good idea. “Hey Mom, me and my friends want to have a babysitting camp to earn money for back to school shopping! Sound good?” my daughter chirped. Photo courtesy Morguefile.com In hindsight, it was the worst idea ever. At least for me. Because while my budding entrepreneur is currently out making an

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-68355515899403995252012-08-15T12:23:00.000-07:002012-08-16T12:43:59.206-07:00

as published at the www.ocregister.com on August 15th, 2012: Like many parents, Michael and I have renewed our vows in anniversaries past by sneaking away for a memorable experience — which can be in a swamp in North Dakota as far as I’m concerned as long as Nick Jr. and swim diapers are not invited. But this year's budget has created a new tradition in our household called Don't Spend Money.

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-23029106259203828022012-08-14T12:29:00.000-07:002012-08-16T12:42:41.121-07:00

Movie Review: as published in print and online at www.ocregister.com on August 15th, 2012: While the magic of Timothy Green's leaf-sprouting legs will effectively enchant young viewers, the core story of Disney's "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" will find its home in a parent's heart. Gripping in its raw exploration of one childless couple's loss and insecurities, yet balanced with perfectly

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5259438695412476949.post-81642695225427711772012-08-09T12:33:00.000-07:002012-08-16T12:34:35.229-07:00

O.C. fans of ‘The Closer’ attend series finale red carpet event OC Register: Pedro and the Watcher August 9th, 2012, 12:05 pm ·&nbsp;&nbsp;· posted by&nbsp;Roxanne Hack 'The Closer' actor G. W. Bailey, left, greets Register winner Mason Mac. Register winner Joanie Valasek, left, with 'The Closer' actor Raymond Cruz. After seven award-winning seasons as cable TV’s

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857920199071154267noreply@blogger.com