For a long time, I’ve wanted to get good at meditation. Oprah has been pressuring me about it since the late '90s, after all, and The New York Times says that it can change the shape of my brain (in a good way). My friend Laura meditates every day, and ...
My husband likes to ride his bike to work, even in the winter. This has been a source of contention between us for years. He wants the exercise, but I don’t want him to get frostbite (or hit by a car). That he always wears a helmet brings me only ...
Nothing about my background prepared me for the fact that children need to eat so much and that it can’t all be snack cakes. So, this is the aspect of parenthood I’ve found most bewildering. My own childhood was a glorious smorgasbord of get-what-you-want-from-the-fridge. My sister and I drank Coke ...
I grew up in a wooden farmhouse that was crawling with mice. Some years were mousier than others, depending on the cat. During the worst winter I can remember, Clarence — a fat, old tabby — sat sullenly by while the mice claimed our kitchen as their kitchen and my ...
Bay Lake at Walt Disney World.My mom said she was done with funerals. When my dad died, we’d all switched to autopilot. Mourners at the house. A guest book in the foyer. Deli trays. Sheet cake. A casket. A grave. Not long after, my mom told my sister and me, ...
My mother’s favorite thing to say was, “Bite me.” She used it for every occasion. As a greeting. As a rebuke. As a love thing. In anger, in frustration, in joy. Bite me, bite me, bite me. All the time, bite me. Why did she do this? Verbal tic? Tourette ...
Tower of London: My mom and the kids.Writer's note: On September 30, my mom passed away at her home. I'm thankful we took one last vacation together. There’s a Heather Chapman who lives in London, England, and her e-mail address is almost the same as mine. Because of the “almost,” ...
Swedish homeschooling.There's lots of chatting going on around our apartment these days. LOTS of chatting. My son in particular has taken to announcing his every thought. As in, “I’m only wearing one sock. My hair looks weird today. I wish I had a hamster.” And so on. Things would be ...
Before last Saturday, I felt a little sad for anyone who’s not living in Sweden, like I am. If you’re not in Sweden, you’ve missed our summer of endless sunlight (which sounds exhausting but is actually delightful). And, you haven’t been to the bakery at the end of our street, ...
I’ve got a tip for you. It’s kind of specific, but I think you’ll find it helpful if: 1) you have a kid who adores Legos, and 2) your family is moving to Sweden. Here goes:When the kid expresses ambivalence about the upcoming move, DO NOT say, “You know what’s ...
Our photo library is filled with kid pictures ...Like a lot of other moms, I’m not in many photos. That’s because I’m usually behind the camera, barking instructions at the children. (“Be still! Look happy! We’re making memories, people!”) In a digital library of more than 3,000 pictures, I’m sprinkled ...
“Hey? Hello? Are you seeing the beauty?” I said it over and over. We were driving to Stockholm for a weekend getaway. The scenery was so mesmerizing that I could barely keep our VW on the road. Tall, green hills and shimmering lakes. Tiny villages framed by flowers. Roadside farm ...
At the end of a long shopping day, we needed ice cream.Editor's note: Parenting contributor Heather Heath Chapman is chronicling her family's six-month sabbatical in Sweden. The sun never really sets during a Swedish July. Our first night in Umea, it was sunny when I opened my eyes at midnight, ...
As we left Ann Arbor, I waved to our house vigorously, like it was a person who might wave back. “Good-bye, house,” I said aloud. Then, inside my head, Good-bye, deck. Good-bye, beer tap. Good-bye, large-load washing machine I got on sale at Big George’s. Good-bye, basement drain that clogs ...
There were lots of “lasts” before we left Ann Arbor for Sweden. Last bagel at Zingerman’s (pepper parmesan). Last movie at the Quality 16 (Toy Story 3). Last soup from Le Dog (chicken chili). Last curse word on Stadium Boulevard (bleep).Our last “last” was when we said goodbye to my ...
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com AnnArbor.com's partner news site MLive.com is on a quest to find the best barbecue in ......
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