And this is what I want to say to the parents of his future peers as we head toward kindergarten next year with a whole new set of kids who may or may not have ever been around a kid like mine: “Please keep inviting us. We can’t always make it work like we’d hope and sometimes we will have to say no, but whatever you do, don’t stop asking. Because he’s like any kid. …

’Tis the season for all things Christmas. And yet, there’s so much more to winter. We have the Winter Solstice and Hanukkah and St. Lucia Day and Kwanzaa and Diwali and Las Posadas and the Lunar New Year. There is so much more to celebrate. Kids are continually charmed, as are we, by days demarcated as special and observed with ceremony. Mystery and wonder and culture fill these non-Christmas holidays. These seven children’s books will …

I just checked my texts. In order of importance and most use, here are the emoji favorites: Laughing face Red heart Peanuts Two-tear crying face Okay sign Winking face Fall leaves Flexed Arm Kiss face Cake slice High-heeled shoe Surprised Face Why the peanuts? Is it because I say “That’s nuts!” so often and my smarter-than-me phone autocorrects? Or is it because I just made chocolate peanut butter cake and told the world about it? …

The house smells of toasted pecans and butter. Outside, the sky hangs heavy and gray with cold – perfect for baking in a warm, well-lit kitchen. In one hour, I will leave to pick up my son from preschool and I will carry his wheelchair and his then-five-year-old self up the stairs and into this homey scene. “The cookies are nothing special,” I will say if anyone asks – my polite way of not giving …

The Museum of Modern Art has a new exhibit. “Items: Is Fashion Modern?” pieces together 111 articles of clothing from low end to high, from basic to extravagant, from eastern to western culture. Each garment must have had “a strong impact on the world in the 20th and 21st centuries – and continue to hold currency today.” 111 items to tell the story of the world. You can walk past a plain white t-shirt and …

Sometimes, the world aligns and gets to see your child just as you’ve seen him every single day since he was born. He is a blessing and his sweet face on the cover of a magazine is the most amazing testament to his story and the spirit of the season that he brings SUCH JOY not just now, but all year round. I am honored to by his mother. Click below to read my most recent …

Most everyone is familiar with the term Occam’s razor – the assumption that the simplest solution is usually correct. It’s what keeps us from spinning out into every possible scenario and lets us move from one point to the next, solving life’s daily mysteries with logic. If Occam’s razor keeps you logical, Hanlon’s razor keeps you peaceable. In short, Hanlon’s razor reads, “Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.” In …

Many years ago, before I was a mother, my husband and I strolled around a Norman Rockwell exhibit at the art museum in downtown Nashville. The walls were lined with his visions of the iconic family and also the social events of the time. The genius of Rockwell was that he made you wishful and wistful and also grateful for the family you had. I know you know his famous Thanksgiving picture, with everyone smiling …

Mattel pulled a much-anticipated and hotly-debated toy recently. Aristotle, a device geared for children anywhere from infancy to adolescence, was set up to be the kid’s version of Alexa. It boasted features such as the ability to soothe a crying baby, teach ABCs, reinforce good manners, play interactive games, and help kids with homework. Marketed as an “all-in-one nursery necessity” on Mattel’s website, it also offered e-commerce functionality that would enable Aristotle to automatically reorder …

It is 2000, I’ve just turned 18, and I’m excited to vote in my first presidential election. It’s Gore and Bush, in it until the very end. I watch the debates, register early, and read up on the issues. I ready myself for November. It feels momentous. I’d grown up in a house talking politics – always a one-sided discussion. They were tried and true red, through and through. But my grandparents were all blue …