How I Feel

April 18, 2012

My dear sweet puppy passed away in his sleep Sunday morning. He must have left just before I got up because he was still warm when I found him. I curled him up in my arms and cried my eyes out. It’s been three days. My heart is completely broken. I’ve read the rainbow bridge […]

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Teaching About Grief and the Great Beyond

April 16, 2012

You’re lucky if you get to the point where a child asks “where do I go when I die?” It means the topic of death didn’t come up until they were old enough to really think this up on their own and ask. Sadly, in this household, we had to discuss it before it was […]

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Parrot Owner for a Day

April 13, 2012

Last Tuesday I had a parrot. Let me explain. While letting out my little pooch for is semi-hour potty break (diuretics will do that), I was greeted by a bird. It freaked when it saw my dog and flew to the fence that borders my yard. At first I thought it was one of those […]

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Consequences and Improving Behavior

April 2, 2012

A girlfriend of mine with a daughter close to Sweetness’s age was lamenting on her Facebook page this past week about having to enact a consequence, and then suffer through the fallout. But low and behold, her daughter thought twice the second time around. It reminded me all over again of the importance of logical […]

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Mommy and Daddy Time

March 26, 2012

I talk a lot about connection time with kids, but the same can be said for connection time with your spouse. It goes without saying that this parenting thing takes a lot out of you. Heck, I have more gray hair, wrinkles, flabby parts and aches than any other time in my life. I was […]

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My Heart is Breaking

March 21, 2012

My heart is breaking. My best friend of 13 years is dying and the only thing I can do is let go. I remember the first time I saw him. He was just a little furry handful with a whole lot of smooch. He loved to give kisses, and he did, all the time. Up […]

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Cabin Fever Cure

March 19, 2012

Here in the Pacific Northwest, it’s been known to rain. A lot. Vampires live here don’t you know. When it comes to keeping the kids from climbing the walls, we get mighty creative here. Unlike warmer climates where rain means stay inside, we tend to bundle the little darlings up in raincoats, boots, hats and […]

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Divide and Conquer (aka Special Time)

March 12, 2012

In my readings on positive discipline and compassionate parenting, one thing I continue to come across is the importance of giving each child regular individual time, uninterrupted by siblings, the other parent, grandparents, the phone, etc. I wish I could say I was good at doing this every single day. Sadly, sometimes the most individual […]

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