I never danced in The Nutcracker ballet. In fact, I didn’t have access to an inexpensive production that my single mom could afford. That meant I did not grow up seeing live performances of The Nutcracker. The good news is that the ballet occasionally came to us via our television. I studied the main characters' actions, including a pretty little girl, a toy nutcracker, a handsome prince, and a villainous mouse king. While I didn’t understand all of the ballet, I was enthra

Sometimes, as I’m browsing through my Houzz app, or a stray Pottery Barn catalog, I look longingly at a lush, white pair of sofas, or a delicate, cream love seat. I envy crisp white walls and towels, but these are unsuitable for a house with four boys, two dogs, two cats, a husband, and inevitable child hieroglyphics. I once came close to selecting white. I picked a comfy chair with a linen, cream slipcover. It matched the red slip-covered sofa and red chairs. I could slip of

Something began to happen just before April. Our home life, already busy, went into overdrive. I’d been begging for spring and summer, but, frankly, I started hoping to see January roll back in. I missed the month that keeps it chill, indoors and inactive. Here’s how it started. One boy decided to play baseball. I have no idea what we were thinking because we let him. Next thing I know, even before the season begins, we are driving him to practices, or a bit of D-Bat for some

I wear a T-shirt that says, “Mother of Dragons.” The creators intended it as a nod to the book and HBO series, “Game of Thrones,” but I adopted this fine piece of clothing as a disclaimer: I live with four, active boys, and that includes a set of triplets. In my mom-world—and maybe yours—it sometimes feels like I’m sitting next to a three-headed dragon, and it’s not Puff or Pete. I’m behind a shield, helmet on my lap, a knightress prepared for distress, because who knows what