My husband and I have this favorite club we like to go to on Friday nights if we get a night out. While I was browsing its web site looking for advance tickets to a show, I noticed something curious: "Shorty's Dance Party."

I had heard of "Baby Loves Disco" - basically, a dance party at a club on a weekend day for kids - and Shorty's is the same concept. Put on some non-offensive music, fence off the bar, and… Read More

I am so not a video game person. I'm like this: I play a game (not a shoot-'em-up type, but a puzzle or logic game). I get really really into it for a few days and play so much my husband threatens to throw the TV or computer out the window. And then I stop and never play again. It's like there's this huge obsession, then it withers into complete disinterest.

So it's definitely possible that the same thing will happen… Read More

Today I had a very humbling experience.

I know I'm not a good ice skater. I mean, I can get around on the ice, but I'm not graceful or elegant. But we live two minutes away from an ice arena, and I have coupons that were going to expire next month, so we decided it was a good time to go.

My hubby's parents, who live nearby, wanted to see the kids. So we invited them along.

I figured they'd sit on the… Read More

One of these days, I will embarrass my children so much they stop speaking to me.

Fortunately, this Halloween that day didn't come.

So I know Halloween is really all about kids and candy and playing dress-up. And as much as I'm not the kind of mom who really gets into a lot of the kid stuff, I really do love dress-up.

Now that we're 364 days until next Halloween, I can admit it. I want to play, too! I want to wear… Read More

A few weeks ago, my husband and I invited another couple and their two children over for dinner. Because our friends live quite a ways away, we offered to let them crash in our guest room and the kids sleep over in our kids' rooms.

Now, these are friends of the adults - their kids had never met our kids. However, they have a seven-year-old son, just like us, and a three-year-old daughter, close in age to our four-year-old daughter. So… Read More

I am not a native Seattleite. So the best piece of advice I got just before I accepted my job and moved here was from a native: "You have to do whatever you are planning to do regardless of the weather," my friend John told me.

I've taken that advice to heart. I've been to outdoor concerts in the rain, a street fair, and run a marathon. And like the natives, I never carry an umbrella. (I do like hoods on my… Read More