A Mom's Life

School break is right around the corner and I bet all of you parents and kiddies are planning a family trip. Whether adventuring somewhere warm or simply taking a long weekend in the hills, it's important to be prepared and have the right attitude. I recently sat down with one of most well known family travelers, who puts the "What the FU..." in family fun. Feel free to take notes on the Travel Top 10 from Handy Andy. 10: Don't set an Estimated Time of Departure. Keep your options open. Not setting a specific time to leave makes your kids more excitable and agitated, which is exactly the temperament you'd like your children to have before locking them in a moving box for hours on end. 9: Make sure to pack snacks for the ride. Like chocolate frosted donuts. 8: Nothing makes a long car ride better than asking the family to play the "quiet game" while you participate in a conference call. 7: It's not about the destination. It's about the jo...

Whenever I introduce myself to someone, locally, the first thing they ask me is, "Do you know Andrew?" Of course, I want to say something sarcastic because that's the kind of girl I am, but instead, I smile and reply, "Why yes, he's my husband." Usually they continue by telling me how great he is and how much he's helped their organization, that they think he's a great landlord, blah, blah blah. Oh, and half of the time, someone throws in that he looks like Ben Affleck. I want to tell them that, while that's all fine and dandy, I wish Ben would put his shoes away, fold his pants instead of throwing them on the couch, and take less time in the bathroom each day. With all seriousness, though, I'm really proud of all that he does for the community and always have been. When I met Andy, 14 years ago, I was very selfish. I cared about me, me, and me. There may have been a few select others who I cared about, but mostly, yeah, just me. Andy was ...