Jackie Nastri Bardenwerper
Another Unsolved Mystery: The Tale of Our Stolen Pumpkin
Since I was a kid, I’ve loved pumpkins. Maybe it’s because I was born in October, and my dad brought my first pumpkin to the hospital. Or because we grew them in our garden...
Kindergarten: The Third Time Looks Different
It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and my youngest’s kindergarten door had just burst open on a Friday. Onto the blacktop, she came running, wearing a smile...
No More Laundry Soup
Well, it is here. The month we’ve all been waiting for!
And no, I’m not talking about back-to-school. That big day was a few weeks ago when our oldest started middle school, and our brand-new...
We Said No To Travel Baseball
It was sunset on a heatwave Monday, and my kids were on a local diving board. The hour was close to bedtime, and their stomachs were still empty as dinner sat unmade in the...
To the Mom With the Jogging Stroller
Our paths first crossed during the first week of June. I had just dropped my kids at school and headed out on my daily run. I was childless, my headphones blaring, my mind already...
To the One Stuck in the Middle, You Had a Great Year Too
For the past month, almost every conversation in our household has centered on a graduation. What our youngest is wearing to her preschool moving on ceremony or what songs they’re singing at our oldest’s...
An Open Letter to Our Preschool Upon My Youngest’s Graduation
To Our Preschool,
Well, I guess this is it. My family has officially made it. At the end of this month, my youngest will walk out of your doors for the last time, and no...
Bring Back the Landline
About a month ago, I was running errands when my phone rang, and the contact for our landline appeared on my screen.
Immediately, I worried. Our landline was a relic; we kept it because it...
Not All Skinfluencers Glow: On Saying No to Tween Skincare
We were shopping for a back-to-school outfit at an outdoor mall last August when I first noticed my ten-year-old daughter eying Sephora from across the way.
“Look, Mom! Sephora! I love that place!” she said,...
We Changed Bedtime to Save Our Sanity, So Why Do I Miss the Old...
As recently as one month ago, the most common words our kids uttered between 8 and 9 p.m. were “one more.” One more snack, one more story. One more snuggle, one more glass of...