Photo of Doofus-Dawg (not his real name) courtesy of HeatherrMarie (a.k.a. the middle girl.) Each of my kids has a special talent. WAIT!!! Where you going?!? Please, COME BACK!!! I don't mean like in a "Look how brilliantly shine-y they are!" sort of way. Although, considering I gave birth to each and every one of them and my being SUCH A BIG DORK, that in and of itself is an amazing thing, really. Aaaaanyway, my point is -- because, I really do have one and will try to get to it as quickly as dorkishly possible -- we're technically raising... Read more →

I was in the 5th grade when we were herded into gym class to watch someone's mother (or, maybe she was an older sister, I forget) as she wrestled with a "sanitary belt" (I know, I'm old, shuddup!) and we wondered what in the heck the boys were doing, right at that moment. I first French-kissed a boy in the 6th grade, in between a chain-linked fence that separated the baseball field from the basketball courts and spent the next few weeks in absolute terror until one of my friends finally convinced me that...uh, no and DER!...you can NOT get... Read more →

Aaaaand, other lunchtime conversations that make me sound old, and hungry: Not for nothing, but imagine if I had typed this ALL out (you're welcome!) © 2003 - 2012 This Full House Read more →

A couple of weeks ago my middle girl and I were hiking in the woods -- yes, like in trees, we have lots of them here in Jersey -- when I suddenly stopped to take this picture and managed to annoy quite a few joggers along the way. Can't help it, I want to remember. The sound of the trickling water was just so calming and then the smell of the wet leaves hit, bringing me back to my childhood, when my twin brother and I would dig for creepy crawlies and begin taking turns imagining the most fantastic stories... Read more →

Um, yeah, about my last post, sorry about that. Admitting that I sometimes experience dark feelings of angst and perhaps rely on other people's happiness, way too much, is not very conducive to engaging in an easy-breezy, go ahead take your shoes off and get comfortable, sort of conversation, right? Also, not my typical writing style. I blame it on having been home-bound for the last few weeks, harboring a fugitive kidney stone (his name is Richard, Dick for short) then being slammed with a wicked head cold, just when I was really beginning to feel pretty good -- especially,... Read more →

My 16yo dreams of being a famous photographer and it shows. I'm a pretty tolerant mom. I don't have very many rules when it comes to my kids picking and choosing their friends. In fact, if anything, my husband and I try to encourage our children to be as open-minded and non-judgmental as they would want others to be. Until, one of them has a falling out and, well, easier said than done, right? On the one hand, it's difficult to remain objective while watching your child's heart break, as she drenches your shoulder with snot, believing that the world... Read more →

Oh, HEY! Guess what? Tomorrow is Valentine's Day (SURPRISE!) so, rather than bore you with details of my ultrasound of the killer kidney stone from hell (you're welcome!) I thought it would be fun to participate in a meme in which I get to share my 14 favorite chick flick moments . Because, I am ALL about bringing the fun back into blogging. [sound of crickets, chirping] Oh, c'mon! You like romantic comedies, right? No? That's okay. You get to be the one in charge of trashing this list. It'll be GREAT fun! Ready? 1. What is your favorite romantic... Read more →