• My Kid Has Mad Skillz,  Travels

    I Let Go.

    I just dropped off a piece of my heart at the International Terminal for a once-in-a-lifetime Israel excursion. Sending my kid halfway around the world while I stay home is a completely nerve wracking experience but I did my best to keep it in check. My biggest hope is that he has a safe, fun, life-enriching trip. Now hold me. That was the caption on a picture I posted last night, right before I drove my car away from Parking Lot D at O’Hare airport. J just began the experience of a lifetime, a Birthright trip. This amazing organization provides Jewish young people aged 18-25 with a ten-day excursion that…

  • Confessions,  My Kid Has Mad Skillz

    Money Battles

    Things you don’t necessarily want to hear from your 23-year-old, who just picked up two friends from O’Hare airport in their car, the one that had been parked at our house all week while they were gone: “So I told them that I bought them a tire gauge this week and they asked me how much it was and I wouldn’t tell them so they left a $5 bill under my windshield on my car and drove away. Then I chased them down the street because I didn’t want them to pay me back for it and I jumped on the trunk of their car and they kept driving through…

  • Amazing People,  Blessings,  Confessions,  Friends,  I've Got Mad Skillz,  Jim Has Mad Skillz,  My Friends Have Mad Skillz,  My Kid Has Mad Skillz

    Coping Skills For Mostly Happy People

    I’m lucky in that I don’t have too many bad days. I’m constantly counting my blessings and I realize all the time that my life is pretty darn good. I am a completely normal human being though, which means that I’m not happy all the time. Life is a roller coaster: ups AND downs are part of the deal. Yesterday? Was a downer. Being a mostly happy person, I tend to freak people out when I’m having a bad day. It’s not that my friends think I cannot have a bad day (or am not allowed a bad day), but when I’m walking around living a 21st century Pollyanna life,…

  • Family Fun,  My Kid Has Mad Skillz

    He Blinded Me With Science. #StreamTeam

    I am a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam and will be happily sharing monthly tips and stories about how my family uses Netflix on a regular basis. (Okay, that’s an understatement. I should say CONSTANTLY. We use Netflix CONSTANTLY.) This post is sponsored by Netflix, of course! My older son D has been a science nut his whole life. When he was just a toddler, he loved taking things apart to see exactly how they worked, and, slightly related, he adored Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With Science”, which we listened to in my minivan just about every day along with other 80s favorites. When he was in high school…

  • Amazing People,  Best Thing Ever,  Favorite Things,  Food,  Friends,  My Friends Have Mad Skillz,  My Kid Has Mad Skillz,  Proud Moments,  Something That Could Change Your Life,  Travels

    My LTYM Travel Season, By The Numbers

    Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and it also happened to be the last day of the 2015 LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER season. Each year I have driven to see some other shows, not only because I like hearing the stories live but also because I like to see how other cities do things (every city, while having to stick to certain national guidelines, creates a show that reflects their community), and it’s a way for me to support my fellow producers and meet up (on their own turf) with some of the teams I’ve coached as the LTYM National New Cities Mentor. This year, Jim was slightly astonished when I told…