When Jonah was a baby, I read a lot of books on “Attachment Parenting….” I think I missed the chapter about how to handle a child literally attaching themselves to you… when you’re trying to make lunch, or get dressed… … it was like an appendage… that I had no choice but to drag with me wherever I went…. I missed that part on Attachment Parenting. Especially the part where said child knows it’s funny and knows you kind of think it’s funny too.
Last night on the season finale of “The Bachelor,” Brad Womack chose Emily Maynard, the single mom from Charlotte, N.C. who’s tragic story of love and loss literally brought tears to my eyes each and every time she told it. I don’t know if it was how perfectly put together without looking cheesy (like bachelorettes so easily do) she always was, OR the fact that she was a single mom, but I was rooting for Emily from the beginning. Sure, the fact that she seemed closed off and dull concerned me, but the old producer (Bachelor producer, in fact) knew that there HAD to be more. That this guy could ...Read More
> Manners Monday: Road Rage! from lisagache on Vimeo. Many months ago, I was driving with Jonah and running late (as usual). We pulled up at a stop light and though the light was green, the car in front of me decided to slow down and virtually stop. I laid on my horn and without thinking said, “GO! DOUCHE!” Sure enough, not two seconds later, a little gold fished crusted mouth, as if he were driving himself, blurted “Gooooo. Douuuuuuuuuuuuuuche!” Oops. There’s no doubt about it. When it comes to setting a good example of manners for Jonah, I have two unfortunate things working for me: I swear like a truck driver, ...Read More
Though bedtime has become a battle in my house as of late, there are actually a few sweet rituals that have little to no hysteria-three year-old-hostage stand-off- negotiation type qualities. One of those rituals happens to be a discussion about dreams… After I’ve told him a story about how houses are built in a factory run by five men named Bob, Steve, Joe, Fred, and Roger (don’t ask), I rock him in the chair and tell him to have sweet dreams. Of course, conversation ensues… J: What should I dream about, Mommy? Me: Tonight, you should dream about chocolate chips, rainbows and Giraffes who play the violin— J: No, no, no, Mommy. I’m ...Read More
This makes me happy. My Nana & Papa on their wedding day… July 10, 1949
Manners were a big part of my childhood. From no elbows on the table to thank you notes, my mom was a big, big stickler for manners. “Thank you for the birthday gift…” “Thank you for inviting me to your miniature golf party…” “Thank you for coming to my Bat Mitzvah…” You get the gist. Me & My Grandfather Ralph (“Papa”) circa 1987 en route to a Cotillion dance I believe that now, my behavior, thanks to a 3 1/2 year old sponge with an already saucy vernacular, is crucial. And though I am certainly not the poster child for all things manners and etiquette, my lovely book writing partner Lisa Gache ...Read More
I recently started blogging for a fantastic website called GalTime. Thought I’d share with you a post I wrote about being a single mom and how it’s all too easy to live in “woe is me” land. While I certainly wouldn’t consider myself the poster child for single mothers everywhere (as all of our journeys are so very different), I will say that I think my advice, though simple and very literal, could help ease some of the anxieties that all moms face- single, separated, divorced, dating or happily hitched. Looking forward to your thoughts…. **** Single Moms: How to Minimize the “Woe is Me” By Jennifer Brandt on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 While the ...Read More
My entire life, I have dreamt about going to the Oscars. Not just going to the Oscars, but being in the Oscars… that is, RECEIVING an Oscar. As a little girl, and then a young adult studying theater at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, my dream was to win an award for Best Actress. Now, it’s for Best Adapted Screenplay, Original Screenplay or Sound Editing. I’ll take anything really. The point is, I really want an Oscar. Just seems so magical. And I’ve been practicing my speech (again, it’s always with a British accent for some reason) since I was 4. Well, after watching an entire evening of Anne Hathaway’s ...Read More
There’s a sudden piercing in my shoulder, like my clavicle is snapping, which convinces me I’m having some sort of heart attack… The nurse tells me not to worry, that it’s just gas. Gas in my shoulder? That is some bad, bad gas.” – Teresa Strasser, Exploiting My Baby Ahh, gas. Bad gas. One of the many things no one warns you about. I mean, we all know the stereotype– pregnant women, hunched over a carton of ice cream and pickles, simultaneously popping Tums to curb the heartburn they’re bringing on… The thing is, NO ONE tells you how bad the heart burn is. No one, tells you it’s going ...Read More