Archive for the ‘Parenting’ Category

The Dietary Habits of Toddlers, and Your Marriage

Posted in Advice & Tips, Happiness, Housework, Parenting on September 17, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

When you are a new parent, you get a lot of unsolicited advice you don’t really want. But occasionally you do get parenting advice that makes sense, in your world. There are a handful of tips we’ve picked up in random places that have made a lot of sense: Never interrupt a happily playing child. more »

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The Least Important Most Important Thing

Posted in Communication, Fighting, Parenting on May 8, 2013 | 2 Comments »

  Our family mostly enjoys road trips. After all, what red-blooded American couldn’t appreciate the open road or gas station snacks or alphabet games or playlists (formerly known as mix tapes)? Unfortunately, road trips are preceded by packing. And while packing once seemed pretty simple, it is now one of the most dreaded processes in our more »

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What’s Happening in Your Home Every 20 Seconds? (AKA: Why Your Stay at Home Spouse May be Seconds Away from Going Mad)

Posted in Communication, Housework, Parenting on March 18, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

We’re coming up on a new phase in our lives as parents, here at the Johnson household. That we were on the edge of this new phase became apparent a few weeks ago. Cliff had the day off work but I didn’t, and Sam had school. Hoping to get a little Daddy-Daughter play date underway, more »

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Reports of Our Divorce are Greatly Exaggerated

Posted in Parenting on January 22, 2013 | 1 Comment »

Last Monday morning Cliff took Maggie to daycare, as he does most days. He gave her a kissing hand (cutest book ever) and said goodbye. Shortly after that he took the Blue Line to O’Hare and flew off for a week of work meetings in Virginia. That night I picked Maggie at school. Her teacher, more »

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45 years…and counting

Posted in Happiness, Parenting on January 3, 2013 | 2 Comments »

You may have noticed that this blog has been pretty quiet lately. Ever since December 9, I’ve been searching for words…and peace, honestly. You see, that Sunday morning, my mother passed away unexpectedly. It’s pretty tough to offer insights about marriage when your greatest example of lasting relationship suddenly vanishes. My folks were married for more »

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Stitched

Posted in Communication, Parenting on November 20, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

When you live with a 2 year-old and a 5 year-old, arriving home to the sound of tears is actually pretty common, but I usually can’t hear said tears from several houses down. This particular Thursday evening was different. When my daughter Maggie and I approached our front gate, we found quite a scene. My more »

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How to Leave Your Wife (for the week). AKA: Surviving Your Spouse’s Work Travel

Posted in Advice & Tips, Happiness, Housework, Parenting on July 19, 2012 | 1 Comment »

A few years ago Cliff was stuck at an airport gate, waiting to board a delayed flight (again). He sat across from a group of women who were clearly headed to New York for a girls’ getaway. One mom appeared to need the trip the most. Every few moments her phone would ring, presumably her more »

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What Do You Call that Thing Between Your Legs? (Boys, Girls, Body Parts, and Marriage)

Posted in Parenting, Sex on June 12, 2012 | 3 Comments »

I’m about to share a story … and let me warn you, it gets a little graphic.  We’re beginning, half-heartedly, to potty train our 2 year-old, Maggie. The other day, as she sat on the training toilet, Maggie stuck her hands into the empty toilet bowl just to check on how things were going. “No, no, more »

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New & Expecting Parents: Watch This Video. Now.

Posted in Parenting on May 9, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Both our children were born in January – something I don’t recommend, if you have any control over it. With Sam, our first, the winter seemed especially cold and dark. By the time he entered the world I’d been in labor for 31 hours, mostly without food or sleep. Starting from this deficit, things just more »

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Coats, Puppets and Instincts

Posted in Communication, Parenting on April 18, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Amber and I recently watched “Being Elmo,” a documentary about Kevin Clash. I will admit a certain degree of skepticism heading into this particular film; after all, we generally try to avoid Sesame Street once our two year old heads to sleep. But the film pleasantly surprised us. Clash’s story is downright inspirational, a reminder more »

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