To celebrate Christmas with my family, my husband Joe and I recently traveled with our 2-year-old daughter, Lily, to my father’s home in North Carolina. Joe and I have done this for many years now, and we’re accustomed to being met by mild temps and sunshine upon getting off the ...
Kids often get restless — whether it’s in a restaurant waiting on food, traveling, waiting in line, or maybe because they are all done with their food and are bored waiting for everyone else. So here is a fun game to play before you get to the point where you’re ready ...
In my former life as a freelance actress and singer, I performed a program called "The Bubbylonian Encounter" throughout many Michigan schools. It is a well written program geared at first through third graders focusing on the types of appropriate and inappropriate touching and child sexual abuse. The program itself ...
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 ...
My kids grow so quickly that I sometimes don't notice the position of their heads in their booster seats. It was just before vacation I realized my son was riding around with his head above most of the back of his booster and had been for a little while! Then, ...
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 ...
“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 ...
If you think the heat index in our area has been high this summer, you would not survive a road trip with my family. We stopped at a rest area to stretch. I was the only one to exit the car. Upon my return, I was greeted by steam emanating ...
View from our room ... When my in-laws told me that they were sending us to the Grand Hotel's "Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration," I was absolutely speechless. Fireworks on Independence Day is one of the highlights of my whole year. And we were going to spend it at ...
We’re supposed to move to Sweden in a few days, but first I'll have to find the children. I can hear their muffled voices, so I think they’re probably buried beneath a laundry pile. If I start digging now, maybe everyone will turn up before the taxi comes. And maybe ...
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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