It’s so easy to think that cold weather causes colds. Winter comes, we go out into the cold, and we get colds! It’s cause and effect! But it’s not. Cold weather doesn’t cause colds. Going outside with wet hair doesn’t cause colds. A cold is an upper respiratory infection caused by a set of viruses (called rhinoviruses). Neither cold weather nor wet weather cause colds. Further, cold weather does NOT weaken the immune system. Imagine if it did! If cold weather weakened our immune … [Read more...]
Bananagrams with an 8-Year-Old
August 20, 2013 By
by Michaelle X. Curran It is very difficult for me to accept loss. That didn’t come out right. I am not talking about death or anything near as serious as that. I’m talking about board games. I HATE to lose. I was never good at sports (Remind me to tell you about the time I was running so slow during an indoor track meet that some bleary-eyed preschoolers were screaming at me to run faster so they could go home. Not. Even. Kidding.) So I never did develop a true understanding of the whole … [Read more...]
Cinderella!
August 16, 2013 By
Enter to win tickets to Boston Ballet's Cinderella! Deadline: February 23 Performances: March 13-March 23 All prizes are awarded courtesy of North Shore Children & Families, and in partnership with select sponsors. Please – only one entry per family. Several winners will be selected. Your entry gives us permission to publish your name in a future issue. … [Read more...]
My Pantry is Bare, and I’m Happy
August 16, 2013 By
by Michelle X. Curran Right now, I’m sitting in my kitchen in the quiet of the early morning, enjoying a cup of coffee and admiring my bare pantry. I know. Totally weird, right? But you have to understand. Just two weeks ago, there was disorder and chaos. Among other unsightly things, there were half-full bags of chips, crackers and pretzels, small-house-sized boxes of Goldfish wedged between shelves, bags of awful leftover birthday party favor candy that I felt too guilty to throw away … [Read more...]
“Be Careful When You Run With that Stick!”
August 15, 2013 By
By Karolyn Benger There are many things I find myself saying as a parent that I never thought I would say. Things that everyone knows should not be allowed. Things that, before having children, I would have glared or rolled my eyes at or, in a particular moment of self-righteousness, I would have approached the mother about. And then I had kids. Two of them. Rambunctious, active boys. And I have ceased judging other parents and the things they say. What's more, I have learned there … [Read more...]
The 3:30 pm Text
August 14, 2013 By
by Michelle Xiarhos Curran Everyday around 3:30pm, my husband texts me from work. “Everyone doing ok?” It’s a simple enough question, but with very complex undertones. What he’s really asking with those three little words are a variety of questions, the answers to which will determine how he should prepare himself on his commute home from Boston. Should he armor up for battle? Or will he be plastered with kisses and hugs? Will I give him the cold shoulder or tell him about my … [Read more...]
Kids, Like Parents, Just Can’t Have It All
August 14, 2013 By
(From the August 2013 issue of Merrimack Valley Parent) By Michelle Xiarhos Curran As parents, most of us want our children to have full and engaging lives, to have experiences that we may have never had. We want them to explore their interests and eventually find their niche. We want them to have fun and learn and grow, to be good at something, and enjoy doing it. We want them to gain the life skills they’ll need to live happily in this ever-changing world. But we also want them to … [Read more...]
Ten Reasons I Hate the Humidity
August 14, 2013 By
by Michelle Xiarhos Curran My hair is really fine, so the humidity actually helps me there. But here are 10 reasons why I hate this dreaded weather. 1. My bathroom door doesn’t close all the way, making it even more difficult for me to shower, pluck my eyebrows or pee alone. 2. My face resembles an Exxon oil spill. 3. GUARANTEED that the load of laundry I put in the wash – insisting I’d stay up to transfer it to the dryer, but didn’t – needs to be washed again come morning so it … [Read more...]
