Abby Off the Record — The scoop on life, writing & raising kids

How to Survive Summer Break

June 18, 2014

The expectations will kill you. The expectation that, for example, on summer vacation the days will unfold at a relaxed pace, sun-soaked and languorous, breezy and balmy, a lemonade-and-coconut-oil-scented respite from the hustle and bustle of the school year. In reality, I am awakened on Day 1 of summer vacation like this: “Mom! Mommy! MOMMM!! […]

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On Birthdays and Being Kind to Others

June 15, 2014

I’m back! Sorry, got a little busy there for a week or two. Let’s see, first there was my son’s 8th birthday. I know, 8! I’ve heard from a few people who have been reading my blog since Miles was born, mostly other moms with kids that age. To you I say: Wow! 8 years […]

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An Afternoon Spent with a Friend

June 1, 2014

Written May 28, 2014 As a blogger and essay writer, I have a constant stream of ideas running through my mind at all times. For a while now I’ve been meaning to write about an afternoon I spent with a friend a few months ago. She and her family used to live across the street […]

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Failing at Adulthood

May 27, 2014

Do you ever feel like you’re failing at life? I do. Frequently. Who knew being an adult required so much of you? Not me. Now, maybe it’s the violent stomach bug that’s hit our house hard, but I am struggling here. Eight straight days of mopping up other people’s bodily fluids will do that to […]

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What Was I Doing Again?

May 22, 2014

The other day, a mom friend and I were lamenting to each other that while our endless to-do lists seem to multiply like dirty sports uniforms in the hamper, and while we are constantly too busy to even wash AND dry (let alone fold) a single load of laundry in a day, we always feel […]

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Kind Voice!

May 19, 2014

One thing that drives me absolutely insane is when I call my kids to dinner and they stand next to the table and start grabbing food off their plates with their fingers. What are they, ANIMALS?! Animals who can stand upright and have opposable thumbs to grasp chicken nuggets, that is. “SIT DOWN IN YOUR […]

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A Little Clutter Never Killed Anyone

May 16, 2014

So, I realized something: I don’t care about having a neat, tidy house. I know! This is shocking, given how much time and mental energy and blog space I’ve devoted to the subject. In a “no duh, what took you so long” flash of insight, I realized that no matter how busy I am, I […]

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Grownup Birthdays Are Lame

May 14, 2014

Monday was my husband’s birthday. It was not a milestone birthday – that was last year – and it fell on a weekday with school and work and baseball. So the celebration, as it were, was limited to cannoli with a candle in it. My 5yo had a tough time grasping this. He kept asking […]

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Early Lessons in Motherhood

May 12, 2014

My first babysitting job when I was 12 years old was as a mother’s helper to a family in my hometown. The mom needed someone to watch her baby, who was maybe a year old or less, while she worked from home. I was more than happy to oblige. I loved kids. Being paid to […]

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Why I Flew to Charleston to See Someone I’d Never Met

May 8, 2014

Charleston smelled like sweetgrass and honeysuckle. I don’t know what sweetgrass is, exactly, but there were women on street corners weaving it into elaborate baskets. And the honeysuckle seemed to burst from every alleyway and climb up every wrought-iron fence. And the palm trees – now I get why South Carolina is called “The Palmetto […]