JAK CHAT

Green by Just Add Kids Founder, Paula Herrmann Don't envy me! I have a date with a sparkly green iPhone that keeps getting delayed. But before I get to that hovering subject matter, I must wish #2 a happy 17th birthday! 'Tis the season for Herrmann family celebrations: uncle birthday, nephew birthday, Thanksgiving, #4 birthday, #2 birthday, Christmas, and all the holiday seasonings sprinkled in between, including The 37th Annual High Renaissance Feast. Note the festive garb!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> And speaking of green, we've got more Alexander Hamilton's and Andrew Jackson's flying out the window than coming in the door. You? Read more.... So today, instead of tackling this "high priority" project of sifting thru #3's cell phone (now see #3, I Remember  AND i Caved. i Regret. ) I am writing about yet another child and her milestone....tomorrow's 17th birthday. It's only right. ...

Or So I Wish It Were I suppose it depends on the day, the hour, the weather, the circumstances....It's pretty unpredictable. Sunday marks yet another one of my kid's birthdays.  Not that every birthday isn't special, it absolutely is, yet this milestone is my oldest daughter's "Sweet 16" birthday. Just like a lot of moms and their teenage daughters, our relationship is a bit strained.  All I want to do is, especially in light of her birthday, is to create a special, happy memory. So I threw a couple of "surprise party" ideas past my husband asking him what he thought she would like to do, on top of the standard big family party (including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and a few other VIPs considered family). You never know, as he answered, "Honey, you are damned if you do, and damned if you don't"  You see, on top of the challenged relationship, my daughter suffers from clinical depression and January is a real beast ...

He's Eight!  Ain't it Great!? Well, one would think so.  But, he's my baby, and I can't seem to accept it.  See?  I still refer to him as "my baby".  What is wrong with me?  Is it my refusal to accept the fact that I am getting old?  Or is it because I know, just like with my older two kids, there lingers around the corner that unpinpointable day when his body will no longer be of the small snuggable variety, or he just doesn't want to be physically coddled (at least in public). So we'll celebrate and have a great time.  I'll post pictures of him through the years on my Facebook to honor this milestone.  I'll smile in the process. And I'll cry.  Read more. As days, weeks, and years continue to come and go faster and faster, this birthday reminds me of how special each and every minute is with him. I'll appreciate those spontaneous "I love mom"('s) that flow so naturally from his mouth or is drawn out thoughtful...