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

Reentry into the Momosphere

May 6, 2014

I am back from a 3-day trip to Charleston, SC. It was fabulous and I will tell you more about it soon. But first, I want to describe for you what it’s like to re-enter my regular life after several days away. I went straight from the airport to the sidelines of my 7yo’s baseball […]

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Pics O’ the Week

May 2, 2014

Let’s flip through my phone pics from the past week, shall we? We’ll skip over the blurry shots someone took of their naked brother streaking around the house in a Power Rangers mask. And the blurry 5-second video clips of the Lego guys. And what the heck is THAT picture of? The inside of the […]

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How I Totally Botched ‘The Talk’

April 30, 2014

One of things I didn’t understand until I had kids was how often I would have to think on my feet. You know you’re going to have to talk to your kids about important things like the birds and the bees at some point, but nothing can prepare you for WHEN these topics will come […]

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Hair Salon Freak-outs and Dealing with Stage Fright

April 28, 2014

My freak-out happened at the hair salon. My day was going along fine – even with the flat tire, the missing T-ball glove, and the general anxiety surrounding my public-speaking debut that night. But really, I was fine up till that point. Thanks mainly to the incredible massage I’d gotten that morning, the yoga class […]

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Remember That Time … ?

April 21, 2014

One of my favorite stories my grandmother used to tell me was about her and my grandfather’s early courtship. He was a charming, self-assured Southerner, she was a prim and proper Midwesterner at an all-girls’ school. On one of their first dates, as he chauffeured her back home, he got a little too chummy, too […]

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5 Ways to Ruin Quality Time with Your Family

April 16, 2014

One time I was at a playground with my young sons and a woman came striding up, briskly pushing a jogging stroller. She stopped, ordered her kid to hop out, and proceeded to do some stretches. Then she clapped her hands together and shouted, “Go run around! There’s another kid – chase him! Go! Go! […]

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Why Social Media Is the Best and Worst Thing to Happen to Writers and Why You Should See this Show

April 14, 2014

Social media is simultaneously the best and worst thing to happen to writers. The best because: a) it gives you an instant audience of readers, b) it lets you cut through the red tape and do stuff like publish and promote your own blog or ebook, and c) it lets you connect with people all […]

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Flashback Friday: Not Company Men — Er, Boys

April 11, 2014

Another blogger posted recently about older children trying to parent their younger siblings, and it reminded me of this post from my archives. Or maybe it was the stampeding through the house naked and using inside voices part that made me think of it. No matter. Enjoy! Not Company Men — Er, Boys The other […]

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6 Not So Hidden Reasons Why My Mind Is So Busy

April 9, 2014

This made me laugh: I clicked on an article titled “3 Hidden Reasons Why Your Mind Is So Busy.” But before I could even make it through the first paragraph, I got distracted by the following things. (Psst, click the image and it will load bigger if you’re having trouble reading my notes.) Now, part […]

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A Special Day

April 7, 2014

My 7yo son was home sick one day last week. Nothing serious, just enough to keep him out of school for the day. He’s rarely sick. At first I worried about how I would get my work done. But I quickly realized that having a second-grader around is NOTHING like having a preschooler around. First […]