“BUMP” Theater Review by Andrea Santo Felcone


Playwright Chiara Atik’s new play “BUMP” is essentially three different stories, all intertwined in a series of vignettes, about pregnancy and childbirth. One story emphasizes our modern-day world—pregnant women chatting on an online message board—(each at the same stage of pregnancy) supporting each other; a second story is about the ...

A Bad Weekend by Conlee Ricketts


I was a math teacher more years than I’ve been a parent. At some point that will flip, but it hasn’t just yet. There are moments in parenting when I catch myself doing the exact things I know way better than to actually do, but I do them anyway. I ...

5th Grade Science by Conlee Ricketts


My daughter had to participate in an “Egg Drop” again for science class this year. Last year she had to create something to keep her egg safe from a two story drop. She had to work on her own, at home, and using any supplies she wanted. This year, at ...

Oh Mother, it’s a Meltdown – by Melissa Swedoski


The thing about a meltdown is that frequently you don't realize you're having one until halfway through it, and by then, you're well and truly invested in it, and you can't just quit. After all that effort and rage or craziness, well, you just have to finish what you started, ...

My Halloween Growing Pains by Conlee Ricketts


In thirty days the energy in our house is going to be ALL Halloween! It’s my daughter’s favorite holiday. She spends weeks pondering what she will “be”. In fact our house is usually decorated by mid September. Not this year. I am wondering what’s going on?? When she was younger she ...

Could This Life Get Any Funnier? by Melissa Swedoski


As you roll along this mortal coil, does it ever seem like someone is having a good laugh at your expense? You think you've got it all going on, all that and a bag of chips, and then, just to keep you humble, something ridiculous happens to remind you, "don't ...

You Sure Waited a Long Time to Get Started by Melissa Swedoski


It's a tricky business, this later motherhood life. On the one hand, you feel so supremely blessed to have this child(ren) who you can love, hug, snuggle, cuddle, nourish, teach, inspire, support and laugh with, when you perhaps thought you never would. But then there's the trick of time. You feel ...

Finding a Pwesent for Dada by Melissa Swedoski


If you go trolling around the Internet - you know, for fun in your spare time - you'll find a lot of information on being a mom. Meaning, more information than you ever wanted to know on more topics than you ever thought possible. Turns out, the same can almost ...