Like most of America, I have to admit to watching at least some of Lance Armstrong’s interview with Oprah last week. I’ve seen bits and pieces replayed on the news and watched videos of the interview on various websites around the internet. Perhaps the most poignant moment for me was when Armstrong described the pain he felt while admitting to “doping” to his 13-year-old son.  As Armstrong explained, it was when he heard his oldest son, Luke, defending him that he knew he had to admit what he had done to him. Without a doubt that was likely the moment that Armstrong won over the hearts of …

As moms we are used to making sacrifices. Some of them are simple, some of them are just a bit harder and, frankly, some are just completely unexpected. I’ll be the first to admit this. I’m a pretty darn “girly” mom. Now, before anyone out there takes offense, I’m just admitting who I am and absolutely not criticizing anyone else. I like girl clothes, I like to have my hair and makeup done, and pedicures are my friend. Now, I’m not opposed to getting dirty, but it’s really not my favorite thing to do. I can’t deny that being the mom of a boy has been a bit of an experience. In my own strange …

Lately there has been a lot of talk about increasing the length of time that students spend in the classroom each day. Recently, it was announced that a pilot program will be introduced in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Tennessee and Colorado that will allow some cities and towns to lengthen the school day. The goal is to determine if the move to a longer school day will help students to achieve more academically. Here in Massachusetts two towns, Lawrence and Fall River, are expected to participate in the program which will add approximately 300 hours of learning time to the school …

Every year, New Year’s arrives, and we as moms feel obligated to make promises to change our lives. We vow to stay ahead of the laundry pile, to make healthier meals for our kids, to keep our home completely clutter free and, of course, to fit back into our skinny jeans. This year, however, I don’t think I’m alone is saying that I’m tired of the same old pressure to make the New Year a perfect one. As a matter of fact, I’m very content to admit I’m not perfect and simply move on. Yes, it would be nice to wake up every day knowing that no one would need to rifle through the laundry basket to …

Yesterday, when speaking to a friend, an interesting subject came up. She had been reading updates on Facebook and one of her friends had posed a question that she found a little odd. It seems that this mom was looking to find out how many gifts other families were leaving under the Christmas tree for their children. Upon reading further she found that a number of people had chimed in and basically given counts on what their kids would be getting for the holiday. I have to admit that, like her, I found the whole post just a bit disconcerting. Yes, we all like to spoil our children on …

As I sat down to ponder my Life in The Mom Lane article this week there simply didn’t seem to be any real decision as to what subject to choose. Yes, I would have loved to write an article that would spread some holiday cheer but there is no bigger issue on the minds of moms right now than the tragic events that took place last Friday morning in Newtown, Conn. I admit that, when I woke up Friday morning, my mind was pretty much consumed with holiday stress. Frankly, that morning nothing seemed more monstrous than the task of getting everything ready for the Christmas holiday. That feeling, …

Let’s face the facts; motherhood is not an easy job.  The take home pay is non-existent, the hours are grueling and, frankly, the benefits package doesn’t always seem to measure up. No two stages of motherhood are alike and, sometimes, it can seem like the toughest job on earth. As the mom of a 13-year-old I sometimes look at old pictures and wonder how my son could possibly be a teenager already. While some moms I know long for their kids to be babies again I have to admit that I have enjoyed watching my son grow into a self-sufficient and independent young man. Unlike a lot of moms that I …

These days it seems that there is a bit of competition when it comes to holiday traditions. Without a doubt, Santa is still the number one man when it comes to Christmas but, alas, there is a new kid in town when it comes to getting attention. Lately it seems that someone a little smaller than Santa has also moved into the hearts of children. That someone is The Elf on the Shelf. As the mom of a teenager I have no experience with this little elf. As a matter of fact I had to enlist the help of a friend to learn exactly what this new tradition is all about. It seems that these elves, like most…

Ok. I’ll admit it. This week when I sat down to write Life in The Mom Lane I was fresh out of good ideas. As I’ve done on the past I put the call out to some of my mom friends and, much to my surprise, was bombarded with opinions on a rather unexpected topic. Yes, everyone wants to talk about the holidays but, at the same time, there was something else on a lot of minds. It seems that, these days, the pressure to host the perfect birthday party can be overwhelming to say the very least. Gone are the days when, as one of my friends pointed out, “a birthday party was cake after dinner, some …

These days it often seems like time passes more and morequickly. Family life is hectic, parents and kids are busier than ever and, oftentimes, there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day. Unfortunately, that sometimes means that we, as moms, don’t always make the time to enjoy the same traditions that we did when we were kids. Holidays come and go quickly and, sometimes, Thanksgiving seems to have become nothing more than the day before the “silly season” of Christmas shopping begins. Let’s face it, Christmas decorations seem to be going up earlier and earlier every year and, by the …

As moms we all know how much we have to be thankful for. Our children’s health, a safe community to live in, a school system where students can learn and grow all top most moms’ lists.  What we don’t always think about, however, is why all of these things are possible.  As moms we work hard to drill the words “Thank You” into our children’s’ heads but, alas, we often forget to use it ourselves. We don’t always think about how lucky we are to have our freedom and to live in a nation where we can raise our children with confidence that they, too, will always be free. Simply put, we don’t always…

Last week while watching the news I saw a story featuring a blogger who believed that Charlie Brown specials, starting with, but not limited to, “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” should be retired from television. His opinion centered on the fact that the name calling and teasing throughout the Charlie Brown specials was nothing more than bullying and that, “Charlie Brown is supposed to be the hero, instead he is kicked and demeaned at every turn, even by the adults giving out candy.” In addition the blog goes on to criticize Snoopy’s World War II “flying ace alter ago” as being …

From most of us moms, the first moment that we discovered we were expecting a baby was also the first moment that our number one priority in life changed. Suddenly, as if on cue, life becomes all about protecting our child. We are no longer our own number one priority and probably never will be again. Life becomes an effort to keep our children safe from harm under any circumstances. As Sandy barreled up the east coast this week and people all over New England prepared for the worst it got me thinking about how much information is too much for children to process. Yes, we want our kids to be …

Moms always comment how fast time flies as we raise our children and, this week, I can truly vouch for that. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I find that I am the mother of a 13-year-old boy.  Yes, it happened, my son went and had a birthday and officially crossed the line to being a teenager. Looking back I’m not truly sure how it happened. It seems like just yesterday I was expecting a baby and, today, that baby is 13 years old. So, I’ve had all these years to prepare myself, but the question remains. Am I really ready for the teenage years? I guess the best answer comes in the form of yet another…

With Halloween just around the corner and kids as well as parents out shopping for costumes, decorations and crafts, it's hard to not get just a little bit excited.  Last year, when an early season snowstorm struck the Northeast just before Halloween, it left towns scrambling to find a way to make the beloved trick or treat tradition happen.  I’ll never forget my son’s second Halloween. He had just turned two years old and, as an inexperienced mom, I had no idea whatsoever that Halloween costumes are best purchased far in advance. Much to my surprise buying a Halloween costume turned out to …

The other day I asked some friends what they thought would be a good topic for the next Life in the Mom Lane. Overwhelmingly, the answer was “how old is old enough” for kids to do certain things. Well, I did visit this subject once before but, with some many requests; I am more than happy to take another look. My initial article was prompted by a discussion with friends after I took my then eleven year old son to see The Dropkick Murphy’s in concert. Was it a good decision to bring him? Well, apparently it was because, since that evening, we have seen the band in concert again and had even …

It’s hard to get through the month of October without realizing that it is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It seems that for 31 days everyone wants to wear pink in support of breast cancer education, research and awareness.  Originally founded over 25 years ago, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is, as their website explains, “a collaboration of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to services.” With a number of …

This weekend I had the chance to spend an evening with two of my closest friends from high school. Inevitably, the talk turned to “the good old days” and out came a picture of the three of us together at, imagine this, our junior prom. The year was 1983 and we had no idea that twenty nine years later we would still be together. Looking at that photo truly reminded me how fast the years have flown by.    I look at the three of us with our outdated hair styles, pink taffeta dresses and prom bouquets in hand and I see children. Yes, we were 16 years old at the time but, frankly, we sure didn’t …

Last weekend I had what could possibly be one of the most harrowing experiences that a “work form home” mom could possibly have. My cell phone stopped working.  Ok, it might sound like a simple fix to some of you out there but when your cell phone is your lifeline to both your job and your kids, losing it is anything but simple. Let’s face it the facts here. Text messages, emails, and phone calls are probably the most important forms of communication that we have at our disposal these days. Being able to take those communications everywhere we go is simply a “given” these days. Yes, I return …

This week marks the 11th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2011. It’s hard to believe that so many years have passed since the events of that tragic day. Whether or not you are a parent, it’s difficult to look back at that day and not think about how it has changed the lives of children all over America.  As Americans, we all lost something on that fateful day. Countless families suffered tragic and unexpected losses. Those who weren’t touched personally still looked on in horror as fellow Americans lost their lives to the most shocking terrorist attack to ever take place. Since …