| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
What Do May Flowers Bring?
By Elizabeth Thompson
Signifying happiness, this tiny belle of a flower carpeted the forests and landscape of Europe in the spring, and my grandmother often times would tell tales of fairies using the tiny flowers as tea cups and party hats.
My grandmother always told the...read more |
Tags: gardening, elizabeth thompson, growing pains |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Remembering Virginia Tech and How I have NOT Stopped Worrying, Since.
By Elizabeth Thompson
We each have a special place in our house -- small and cramped as it may be -- where the children and I like to go and disconnect...from each other. I also think it's important that each of my children understand that they can NOT expect to do everything...read more |
Tags: elizabeth thompson, school violence, growing pains, virginia tech |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
One Mother's Comfort Is Another Child's Misfortune
By Elizabeth Thompson
It’s been a rather warm winter -- we fired up the barbecue more in December, than we did all summer, it seems -- and now they’re calling for an unusually cold spring, here in Jersey. What is up with the weather, lately? Yeah, you too? I know!...read more |
Tags: sick day, sick kids, growing pains |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Our Dirty Little Secret
By Elizabeth Thompson
My husband and I have been together for a long time (we’ll be married 18 years, this summer) and -- though, I refuse to believe that we look anything alike -- Garth (not his real name) and I have grown comfortable with each other and often times...read more |
Tags: marriage, romance, growing pains |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Achy, Breaky Suburban New Year’s Eve
By Elizabeth Thompson
It is... was... just another achy, breaky suburban New Year’s Eve, after all!
I often times associate songs with certain times in my life -- you know, the good and the not so much -- and I believe it was Karen Carpenter (yes, I’m old, shuddup!)...read more |
Tags: growing pains, new years eve, billy ray cyrus, hannah montana |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
The Sanity Clause
By Elizabeth Thompson
As a stay-at-home-mom -- who happens to spend a large portion of the day in the car, just so you know -- if you're a parent...then you know...a vast majority of my time is committed going to (and from) practices, or meetings and paying for teacher gifts,...read more |
Tags: christmas, santa clause, growing pains |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
The Autumn Wife
By Elizabeth Thompson
I lowered my window, breathed in the brisk autumn air and enjoyed the fact that I was sitting on the passenger side of our minivan, for once. I listened to my children happily trying to out-talk each other, behind me, and I leaned my head a little to...read more |
Tags: growing pains, moving, home |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Like Sands Through An Hourglass...
By Elizabeth Thompson
...these are some scary days, my friend!
I’ve been going through some photo boxes -- in my neverending quest to downsize, organize and exorcize the humungous amount of STUFF I’ve accumulated over the years -- when I came across a picture...read more |
Tags: growing pains, halloween, grandmothers |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Skating Through Life, Talking Street and Living with Almost Etnies
By Elizabeth Thompson
With school having started I’ve had to finally face the fact that my kids have outgrown EVERYTHING and perhaps consider that we may actually have to, you know, get out of the house!
Thank goodness the mall is air-conditioned, but -- here’s...read more |
Tags: growing pains, back to school, shopping |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Me and my Mother-tounge.
By Elizabeth Thompson
I grew up speaking Hungarian with my parents and learned to read and write the language, thanks to my maternal grandmother who insisted that at least one of her 18 grandchildren learn the "mother-tongue".
Even more so today, as a Mom...read more |
Tags: growing pains, humor, bilingual children |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Motor CYCLE mama.
By Elizabeth Thompson
“Damn thing’s leaking oil again!”
I threw the wrench back into my tool box and squatted down closer to the engine for a better look. The wind began to pick up and the latest gust blew my short flowered skirt up over my hips. I jumped...read more |
Tags: growing pains, parenting essays, humor, fixing a bicycle |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
The End Of Summer And Resurrection Of A SAHM
By Elizabeth Thompson
"It's quiet -- too quiet!"
I'm reminded of that phrase most often heard in western movies, television and suspense novels – not to mention expressed with trepidation by perhaps every parent of a three-year-old wondering, “What’s...read more |
Tags: growing pains, sahm, humor, back to school |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Scare thy neighbor.
By Elizabeth Thompson
“…suddenly there came a tapping,
as of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door – only
this and nothing more.”...read more |
Tags: growing pains, humor, neighbors, halloween |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Save a dog -- adopt a mommy!
By Elizabeth Thompson
I have this problem.
Actually, I didn’t know it was a problem -- isn’t that how it typically goes? -- I mean, at least I didn’t feel it was such a big deal in thinking:
“No sweat; I could handle it!”
I was wrong.
Then...read more |
Tags: growing pains, humor, family pets, dogs, animal rescue |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
A Christmas without Uncle Bud.
By Elizabeth Thompson
The headline read, “Hotel Blast in Baghdad Kills Two.”
I felt compelled to click on the “raw video” icon and it wasn’t due to some morbid sense of curiosity. I saw the quick flash of a face…a face of a soldier...read more |
Tags: growing pains, parenting, war, soldiers, christmas, military families |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Chicken Soup for the Aspetic Soul
By Elizabeth Thompson
"So, how bad is it? Do you need me to take a sick day?"
My husband’s eyes were fixed on the television as he continued to iron his dress shirt while waiting for my answer.
He didn’t get one.
I was sitting on the end of our...read more |
Tags: growing pains, parenting, humor, sick days, sick children, illness |
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Growing Pains
CAUTION: I Brake For Heaven’s Sake!
By Elizabeth Thompson
My husband and I spent weekends shopping around for our “starter home,” never expecting that the street in front of our new house would resemble a stock car race. Living those first few months as weekend warriors, the constant stream...read more |
Tags: growing pains, humor, parenting, death, heaven |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Wake me up when puberty ends.
By Elizabeth Thompson
My daughter (the middle girl child) woke up one morning, not too long ago, and was telling me about the dream she had concerning a certain rock-star-who-shall-not-be-named.
“Who?”
[nods head and yawns]
“You know, rock-star-who-shall-not-be-named,...read more |
Tags: growing pains, parenting, humor, daughter, puberty |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Having faith and eating meat, too.
By Elizabeth Thompson
My parents were not regular church-goers for various reasons -- personally, I believe that a large part was due to their trouble getting married in the eyes of the church because they were not being able to prove, conclusively (having defected from a...read more |
Tags: good friday, catholicism, lent, growing pains, parenting humor |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Mommy's little soldier.
By Elizabeth Thompson
Most parents would perhaps agree that boys and girls are different -- they look different, they behave differently and often times dance to the beat of a different drum -- yes, the thought of raising a little boy pretty much scared me, too!
Until I...read more |
Tags: growing pains, army, military, soldiers, memorial day |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
A man's place.
By Elizabeth Thompson
My father was your average "waiting room husband" - the father-to-be you’d typically find in a hospital during the early 1960’s - he paced, he sat, and he chain smoked his Marlboros.
For hours, my dad shared cigarettes and stories...read more |
Tags: growing pains, parenting, male chauvinism, gender roles |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Remembering "The Old Country" in a whole new way
By Elizabeth Thompson
My father and mother have been living in the United States for over 50 years -- they escaped Hungary during the Revolution of 1956 -- but, often times still like to refer to their homeland as “the old country.”
You see, on our street, everyone...read more |
Tags: growing pains, immigration, grandparents |
| Filed under: Columnists |
Growing Pains
Waiting room stories: stranger than family.
By Elizabeth Thompson
I sat in the stuffy room, drank another cup of bad coffee and threw a fleeting look towards the two women sitting at the table across from me as they continued to leaf through about a thousand greeting cards.
Strange: “Um, where do you...read more |
Tags: growing pains, family, health, scrapbooks, aging |
