For today, please call me Jennifer.

For many years, this has been an inside joke with my siblings, but you are all part of my extended family so I feel comfortable sharing it with you.

As a child, I dreaded situations that required introductions-first day of a new school year, meeting a new kid on the bus, speaking with adults, etc… You might have thought that I had an innate tendency towards bashfulness or an aversion to people, and you would have been wrong.

I hoped and wished this day would never come. But it did. And it brought with it another phase of parenting. It’s the phase where one of my kids is no longer naïve. It’s the phase where their childhood innocence is a thing of the past. It’s the phase just before the sex talk phase.

Remarkable experiences are said to be uncommon and extraordinary. And after spending so much time planning a family vacation -- not to mention a good chunk of cash to pull it off -- we all want our vacations to be just that.

But think back on your family vacations. Alas, young and old alike will forget many of them as the years pass by. All those trips to the beach begin to merge together. So do the grueling hours spent in line at theme parks.

If you want your child to think you are the hippest parent around, you'd better jump on the app bandwagon now! Apps are available for all kinds of mobile devices and will keep the kiddos entertained when you are busy, or give you something fun to play along with them.

When one visits Orlando their first thought is not necessarily harmony or seclusion.  Orlando brings thoughts of theme parks, Disney Princesses, and for certain crowds, but how about a spa in Orlando.

Home sick to the second degree. That’s how I’ve felt this past week. I have literally been at home sick this week with a stomach bug. And while it’s not a pleasant experience, I could account for the physical aches, pains and general discomfort. But it didn’t explain my mood, which was downright pathetic. I’m not a very good patient anyway. Just ask my husband. I enjoy rest, but not forced rest. While I should have just lain back and enjoyed some overdue reading and couch vegging, I found myself unsettled and distracted.

I’m taking the Worry out of this year, and so can you!

What are you worried about?

Would it be easier if I asked you what you aren’t worried about?

If you are anything like me (God help you!) you could be worried about a myriad of real or imagined things, at any given time.

I really look forward to my Friday nights. It’s when I can curl up on the sofa with a nice glass of wine and my hubby snuggled close, watching a movie we rented. Sometimes we even make it into a family night, where the kids join us with a fun snack. It’s the one night out of the week that I actually can relax. It’s the one night where my mind can be taken away from all the stresses of the week.

I’ve been reading this book called Promoting Executive Function in the Classroom by Lynn Meltzer. It’s not a fun read, but it does have some pretty good tips. Especially on how to boost your child’s memory recall. As a parent of three elementary age kids, I’m always open to trying new things to make studying easier and faster. And with an end result of A and B grades.

“I’ve decided not to go to college.”
For those of you with high school age children, how do you respond to that? What goes through your mind?

When I heard it from my daughter last week, I felt…anxious. What do you mean you don’t want to go to college?? We have told her for many years now-as do most parents-that we will support her and be proud of any career she chooses as long as she is passionate about it and as long as she is willing to work tremendously hard to do it well. Whatever “it” was.