laurenk
Little Sister, Left Behind
I always knew I wanted at least two children. We had our beautiful baby girl in 2012, and I was sure I wanted her to have a sibling. In 2016, that plan came to...
Core Memories For Better Or Worse
Last weekend, my older daughter performed with her theater group at a local children's museum. I wasn't sure if we would attend since we'd be seeing the same performance later that day, but my...
Jars of Gratitude
Well, it's official. We're a theater family. Our weekends are spent shuttling from rehearsal to rehearsal. My money is spent on character shoes, opaque tights, and stage makeup. I've learned how to make a...
Tiptoeing My Way Through the Tweens
My daughter has always had big emotions. She feels all the feelings. But lately, she’s gotten a little more… let’s say sensitive. We are tiptoeing our way through the tweens.
Her dad, who normally cracks...
Our Cellphone Saga
My daughter has been asking for a cellphone since the 4th or 5th grade. Some of her friends had them, not a lot, but it was this elusive toy all the kids wanted to...
The Invisible Mom
I've never been a specifically "in your face" presence. If my life were a sitcom, I'd probably be cast as the sidekick. I've always connected to friends with larger-than-life personalities and am happy to...
Finding Joy on the Stage
You always hear the phrases, "find your passion" or "do what you love," and all those clichés printed on Home Goods posters. And I believe it, to a point. You should have hobbies, things...
Selective Mutism Revisited
It’s been two years since I shared my family’s journey with selective mutism. I remember how nervous I was when I decided to write about it. Not only did it make me feel a...
My Tenacious Ten-Year-Old
Ten is an interesting age. You're not quite a tween; you're definitely not a teen, but you're also not a small child. You're just somewhere in the middle, figuring out who you are.
That's where...
Finding Myself In The Library
As a child, I loved to read. I read so much and so fast that my mother used to say I “ate books.” I zipped through them so quickly she would need to hide...