Category Archives: lessons learned

When first days and last days collide: back to school

Posted on September 4, 2014 by rglw

Summer is over and no matter how hard I try to conjure up corn on the cob, swimming with my littles, picking berries, lazy post-dinner walks, or getting some sun, those last days are fading. Every last bit of everything has … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, blogging, everyday life, higher education, lessons learned, personal, schools, summer, teaching, what professors do, work, writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

What I want to tell my daughter on her first day of school

Posted on August 28, 2014 by rglw

Baby-girl, You have no idea what’s about to happen. Well, maybe you do. People have been grilling you about your level of enthusiasm over this transition for months, asking you at every opportunity, “Are you going to Kindergarten? Are you … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday life, family, kids, lessons learned, motherhood, parenthood, personal, schools, students | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

August slump

Posted on August 15, 2014 by rglw

I know I am not the only person caught in a serious slump. The summer is becoming a blurry afterthought as I cling desperately to every ray of sunshine, every ripe tomato, every minute of twilight in the driveway, watching the girls … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday life, family, gardening, kids, lessons learned, personal, summer, Uncategorized, vacation | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Vacation hangover (and Chatham redux)

Posted on August 8, 2014 by rglw

This time last week, we were on vacation. On Sunday, we returned from a trip to the beach, and it was mostly magical. We went to a favorite summer spot of my husband’s family in Cape Cod, where we had stayed … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday life, family, kids, lessons learned, personal, summer, travel, vacation | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sometimes it takes a village, except when it shouldn’t

Posted on July 23, 2014 by rglw

Last week a story surfaced about a woman in South Carolina, Debra Harrell, who was arrested because she made the conscious choice to let her 9-year-old daughter play in a public park while she went to work. I had already seen … Continue reading →

Posted in community, everyday life, family, kids, lessons learned, motherhood, parenthood, personal, vacation, women, work, writing | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Everybody’s free to wear [organic] sunscreen

Posted on July 11, 2014 by rglw

When a friend casually mentioned the Environmental Working Group’s sunscreen report to me in passing, I should have nodded, smiled, and moved on. Instead, I asked her to share it with me. Like any curious parent, upon clicking open the report, I did … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday life, family, kids, lessons learned, parenthood, personal, summer, weather | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Summertime with my academic babies….

Posted on June 21, 2014 by rglw

It was a really good week. Some highlights: strawberry picking, blue skies, homemade shortcakes, playtime in the yard, swimming at the pool, and the first CSA delivery of the year. Some low moments: 2 sick days, plenty of bickering, a few … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, blogging, community, everyday life, family, kids, lessons learned, motherhood, summer, what professors do, women, work, writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

In summer….

Posted on June 17, 2014 by rglw

I was getting really tired of people asking me if I had the “summer off.” Over a year ago, I ranted about academia and vacation time. Spoiler alert: there is none. It’s not that there is no vacation time. During the school year, I … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday life, family, guilty pleasures, kids, lessons learned, motherhood, parenthood, personal, summer, vacation, writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Open letter to our village on the last day of preschool

Posted on June 12, 2014 by rglw

Dear village, We did it. We made it through another year of “school” with our kiddos. The last week has been full of “lasts” for our oldest. Last community Shabbat gathering, Star Night (preschool graduation but not), last dance class of … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday life, family, kids, lessons learned, parenthood, personal, summer | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

When lice lessons are life lessons

Posted on May 28, 2014 by rglw

As parents of young kids, my husband and I have had it pretty easy. We have weathered our fair share of stormy tantrums and sleepless nights. But save the occasional ear infection, runny nose or low-grade fever, serious illnesses have … Continue reading →

Posted in everyday life, family, health, kids, lessons learned, parenthood, personal | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments