If parenting is hard, step-parenting is water torture. In 1986, my husband—well, he wasn’t my husband yet—won the county spelling bee. I lost. His blue eyes and stellar spelling skills captivated me. We were 11. Later that year, I would write in my “Garfield” diary, Joni Edelman, Mrs. Joni Edelman, J. Edelman, 373 times—but who’s […]
Among the most dreaded aspects of teen parenting is discussion of The Sex. I’m a bit of a sadist in this regard. Having teenagers seems pretty universally terrifying. There are a select few who approach this stage of child rearing with gusto. But for the most part, it’s rated about as fun as Frodo Baggins […]
As my boys approach adulthood and start relationships of their own with women outside our house, I’m more keenly aware of what they learn both here and outside these walls. And sadly, it’s not as simple as letting them choose the pink shirt over the blue one. I wasn’t raised by a proclaimed feminist, and […]
You want to really blow people’s minds? Try this at home: Be fat and happy. I’m going to let you in on a little secret. This girl, the one on the left, she’s me. In the flesh, me. Five years ago, after three babies. Me. This photo was snapped at the lake, two months before […]
