shannon2818

Girls (on the Run) Just Wanna Have Fun

Meet the newest poster girl for Girls on the Run: What’s Girls on the Run, you ask? It’s a program for young girls focused on physical activity and character development. Throughout the “season,” the girls train in teams for a 5K while completing self-esteem. building activities. I’ve been dying for BE to be old enoughContinue reading “Girls (on the Run) Just Wanna Have Fun”

Another Mother’s Day

I’ve written in the past about my uneasiness with Mother’s Day, and now I’ve found a new reason to dislike the holiday. One of my fellow Shetroit bloggers recently wrote about the origins of Mother’s Day – who knew it started out as a peace movement? Please take a minute to check it out! ThisContinue reading “Another Mother’s Day”

I’m 33

There’s a local Ethiopian restaurant that I LOVE, but I’ve been very nervous about taking the kids there. My birthday was earlier this week, and I decided to risk it. So we went, and much to my surprise, the kids did great. They tried almost everything – I think the fact that they got toContinue reading “I’m 33”

How to Give up Complaining

I recently committed to give up complaining. I was recently at a meeting of local women writers, and we were asked to share one thing that we could give up. Actually, we were asked to spend some time considering a list of 15 items, and then choose just one that we would commit to focusContinue reading “How to Give up Complaining”

My Twisted, Not-So-Secret Story

I love the Moth Radio Hour on NPR, so I was excited to discover a relatively new storytelling organization in Detroit – The Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers. The organization hosts a storytelling event each month, featuring five or six local storytellers. In March, I got to tell my story and it was a lotContinue reading “My Twisted, Not-So-Secret Story”

Michigan Radio: Adoption and Early Childhood Trauma

I’m a big fan of Michigan Radio (the local NPR affiliate) and I’ve often linked to stories the station has done as part of a project called “State of Opportunity.” This project looks at how the state can improve opportunities for disadvantaged children. So, I was ecstatic when the station asked me to do aContinue reading “Michigan Radio: Adoption and Early Childhood Trauma”

Foster Fridays: Don’t We Look Alike

Don’t We Look Alike, a mother/daughter blog on adoption, has introduced “Foster Fridays,” a weekly feature focusing on foster care. I’m the guest blogger for the week, so head on over and check it out!

BC’s Fifth Birthday

Last week BC turned five; he’s a whole hand now, as BE and BC like to say!

When your Child is a Hoarder

BE isn’t really a hoarder, but she does show a lot of interest in trash. She always wants to pick up things that she finds lying around, such as a broken crayon in her school hallway, or a cracked cell phone case in the grass. In her recent newsletter, Heather Forbes answers a reader’s questionContinue reading “When your Child is a Hoarder”

An Afternoon at Belle Isle

Since we moved to Detroit, we’re fortunate to live just a few minutes from Belle Isle. With some money, the park could be really beautiful, but even with out it, Belle Isle is a great place to visit. On Sunday, we had 50 degree weather here in southeast Michigan, which is a real heat waveContinue reading “An Afternoon at Belle Isle”