Posts Tagged Under Cathy Burke
Togetherness Is Nothing Like Being Alone
I have a theory that the very thing that attracts one to another is ultimately what will repel one or both at some point.
When the kids were little I loved having Bill home during the day. He is a jeweler and his workshop is downstairs. He is always just a scream away for help. My intense boys, just two and a half years apart, ran me ragged and sometimes another pair of adult hands was the only things stopping me from running out and never returning.
Now the kids are at school all day and I swear just the sound of Bill’s footsteps on the stairs is enough to make me grind my teeth. Instead of enjoying lunch together I would rather read a magazine while eating leftovers cold from the fridge. Continue… »
By Cathy BurkeThrow Stuff Out and Feel Great!
It seems that the moment I attempt to throw something away in an attempt to de-clutter my house of past prime toys, I find myself unable to actually do it.
I stand poised over the garbage can and I hesitate. I find myself scared to follow through.
I am plagued by questions such as: Is this really garbage? Can’t I find another use for it? Maybe if I find 25 more just like it I can bring it to my son’s pre-school for an art project!
By Cathy BurkeWhen Should You Send Your Child to Kindergarten?
I am sending my younger son off to kindergarten in the fall. Depending on the time of day, I believe it is the best idea I ever had or just one more way I’m screwing him up.
I am afraid if I send him before he is “ready,” I risk launching a tragic school career. It will be fraught with failures and missed opportunities sprinkled with serious judgement errors.
By Cathy BurkeOne Son Is a Talker, The Other Not
My son, Eric, is not a big talker. This came as a complete shock to me since I come from a long line of talkers. It seems like all my friends and family members love to talk (often at the same time).
My older son, Paul, began talking early and often and has basically never stopped. So, when my second son came along I just figured he would speak up, but that was not the case. First of all , I could barely hear him over his older brother’s constant demands for my (waning) attention.
While I had hung on Paul’s every word (and before that, everything resembling a word) I had a hard time really listening to poor little Eric. I am sad to say his needs were constantly unheard. While I would have pulled off the road to nurse my crying first-born it was not uncommon to wake my second son from a much-needed nap in order to do school pick-up.
By Cathy BurkeIf Only I Could Get Organized
Okay, TODAY I’m going to get organized.
I can do this.
All I need are the right storage containers. Didn’t I just buy some? How can they not fit? Why is it that things grow a crucial inch right after I measure them?
Every time I get back from The Container Store loaded down with purchases necessary to change my life with elevated efficiency — I fail.
Nothing ever ends up looking anything like the picture in my mind.
By Cathy BurkeWhat to Do When You’ve Got TOO Much to Do?
I used to be so ambitious. I don’t mean regarding my career path, but rather my daily To-Do List.
I dared to put actual projects on the list that would take planning, shopping, organizing, actual doing! Somehow, these things never got crossed off of my list. No, they would just get transferred day after day, week after week, ultimately year to year. I may as well have written down reorganize our health care system.
Now I have my 10 by 10 List. Ten things I like to complete by ten a.m. If I can do these things, I feel like I have already accomplished so much.
By Cathy BurkeLibraries are a Disneyland for Moms
I smile to myself as I recall my latest trip to the library. I did not have to physically remove either child. There were no outbursts. I leave with four dinosaur books, two magic school bus videos, two “People” magazines, and four novels.
Success!
I realize I am optimistic checking out four books for myself. And four non-fictions at that. I usually have one novel, one parenting book, one book of non-fiction, and several magazines within reach at all times. What I read depends upon where I am at the time and how much time I think I have.
By Cathy BurkePolitically Correct Children’s Foods
My older son, Paul, is obscenely tall for his age. At seven, he is almost up to my shoulder and I can attest to the fact that it is not the result of healthy eating. He wasn’t always this way. At two-years old he ate peas by the fistful. When we went out I valiantly packed my rice cakes (assuring him they were ”cookies” and quite a treat). I offered rolled up slices of non-fat turkey and cheese cut into shapes with mini cookie cutters. All was well until he got introduced to chocolate at a birthday party around the time he was three.
It was then that he turned to the dark side. Of chocolate. As a chocoholic myself, I was not unhappy about sharing my passion for the sweet. Together we baked cookies and I found it to be a helpful currency during potty training. And, of course, all of this coincided with the birth of his younger brother, Eric.
I wasn’t mashing baby food this time. I discovered Z bars and stopped making my own trail mix. But now, at seven, my son is out of control. Of course I have nobody to blame but myself. The other day he informed me that he could live on chocolate. Unfortunately, that is not exactly practical. Damn society and its health standards!
By adminSibling Rivalry Runs in the Family
Sibling rivalry runs in my family.
After I was born a baby nurse came to help out for a couple of weeks. When she walked down the hall to leave, my two-year-old brother chased her while yelling, “Lady, lady! You forgot your baby!”
And You Thought Legos Were Just for Building Stuff
