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

Flashback Friday: 46 Inches of Fun

March 1, 2013

I was recently clicking through my archives and found this post. How funny is this picture? These days my favorite shows include Elementary, Modern Family, and Nashville, solely because I covet Connie Britton‘s hair. What else should I be watching? Let me know! 46 Inches of Fun How ridiculous is this? Inside this box is […]

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Happy Birthday to My 4-Year-Old!

February 27, 2013

Dear Riley, Today you are 4. Happy birthday! Let me tell you a little about yourself. First, you are ALL BOY. Strong, fast, loud, messy, rambunctious… You can lift your dad’s 30 lb. kettlebell, drop trou in the neighbors’ garden, and cover yourself head to toe in assorted stains in the span of 10 min. […]

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Random Thoughts: Mom Blogger Edition

February 22, 2013

I’ve been feeling off since I started the new year in a funk. Tired. Depleted. Stuck. Uncreative. It might be just that winter and I don’t get along, or it may be that I need a blogging break. A writer friend recently pointed out that I’m one of the only bloggers she knows that has […]

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A Week in the Life of an At-Home Mom

February 20, 2013

Whether you call yourself a stay-at-home mom or a work-at-home mom, being the primary parent and person in charge of the household is a tough job. Looking back to when I only had one kid, it’s kind of funny to me how things would change over the course of a week. On Monday, I might […]

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Flashback Monday: Movie Night Fail

February 18, 2013

Another school holiday. You know how that goes. While I’m trying to entertain my brood on a(nother) cold winter’s day while my husband’s on a 4-day business trip (kill me now), please enjoy this post from my archives. Even a couple years later, it’s still almost impossible for us to watch an entire movie in […]

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Well Played, National Peanut Board

February 15, 2013

A little bit of fun for your Friday: this ad appealed to me partly because I’m a protein-starved vegetarian but mostly because it’s oh so true. And my friend’s 8yo son showed me this hilarious kid-rap video, Running Errands with My Mom. Love the part at the end where she’s throwing out coupons like dollar […]

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Is There Such Thing as an Ugly Baby?

February 13, 2013

This is kind of embarrassing to admit, but when my first son was a newborn, I entered him in some baby modeling contests. This is even more embarrassing because I came across the photos recently. I was shocked. Not at how tiny he once was. That he was – how to put this nicely? – […]

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Moving Day

February 11, 2013

The “For Sale” sign went up yesterday. We all knew it was coming, but it was still a shock to see it. There, in the front yard where we’d spent so many afternoons kicking balls and jumping rope and pedaling tricycles. There, in front of the porch where we’d sat blowing bubbles, licking Popsicles (kids), […]

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Celebrating the 100th Day of School with Parental Over-Involvement

February 8, 2013

If you don’t have school-age kids you may not know this, but the 100th Day of School is a thing now. For the past 2 years our eldest son has had to do a project involving 100 of something – say, a structure built out of 100 Legos, or a necklace strung with 100 beads, […]

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Please Stop Saying This to Moms

February 6, 2013

Listen: I know these people mean well. I really do. So you can call me a grump, you can wag your finger at me, you can think what you will, but PLEASE don’t come up to me in the grocery store when I’m with a small, ornery person demanding Go-Gurt and tell me to enjoy […]