Raise your hand if you think you're a perfect parent...

Anyone? Anyone? No? Me either.

If not, go read Jessica's letter this week at Letters to a Parent, addressed to The Mom Who's Not Perfect. And go easy on yourself, okay?

Thanks, Jessica, for sharing this.

Love my roots

Head on over to Letters to a Parent for our first submission from a father--in fact, fittingly, it's by my own dad. His piece on parenting/raising trees ("a gentle word of counsel to you who would raise trees") is spot-on, inspiring, and, I think, very Robert Frostish. I think you'll love it.

{And thanks, Dad, for sharing it with me & allowing me to share it with others. Now if I can just figure out if I am the oak, the willow, or the maple...}

Miscellany: Leap Year edition

I've always wondered why why call today Leap Year or Leap Day. Isn't today the day we don't leap over the 29th of February? Maybe we should call it...Unleap Year? Unskipped Day? Whatever the case, in honor of this extra "found" day, I'm tossing together a mishmash of what's running through my brain. Let's call it Leap Year goulash:

~I know you've probably had your fill of Oscar fashion commentary. But I just know you've been dying to know what the middle school set thinks about all the gowns and fashioning and posing. Well, thanks for asking! You've come to the right place.

Here's Maddy's notes on the hits and misses of the evening, a list she created on the back of her Oscar ballot:

My attempts to create a mosaic with these photos were disastrous (it kept cutting off everyone's heads) so you can link here for a view more of her faves. {Rebecca Miller is Daniel Day-Lewis's wife and received Maddy's ugly-of-the-year award.}

~ I'm very disappointed I couldn't participate in this freeze-frame event. I'm really good at standing still, too. Have you seen this yet?

I love how, when the people thaw, they just go on as if nothing happened. This would go right along with my silliness and spontanaeity new year's resolutions. I wonder what would happen if I did this tonight right before dinner? New leap year tradition?

~ Greg and I signed up for a 10K race in May. You're invited, too. Woodstock (Vermont) is a great town and the race sounds challenging (a little hilly) but beautiful on carriage trails through the woods, up around a lake, and--get this--past a bagpiper serenading the runners. This time I won't start right in front of the ambulance, I promise.

~This week we also got tickets to The Police/Elvis Costello concert this summer. Roxanne, anyone? Or, if you're more of an EC fan... Allison? Veronica? Can't wait.

~ Finally, I'm so thrilled with the response of the Letters to a Parent project. We've had over 2000 hits in the first month of posts, which is {I think} pretty great! Thanks so much to those who checked it out & gave feedback. This week's letter is from the wise and witty Marty of TravelinOma. I consider Marty to be one of the matriarchs of the blogworld (as well as the matriarch of a pretty wonderful family, from what I can tell). Thanks, Marty, for your Letter to Young Moms, from an Old One. There are some more great ones coming soon & the invitation is open to anyone who feels like piping up.

~ Well, have a wonderful weekend. Ours includes another predicted snowstorm, Maddy at a Model UN Conference at Bentley College (she is Spain & they are trying to propose ideas for helping in Darfur--pretty huge topic for middle schoolers, I'd say), Lauren at a Black-and-White semi-formal dance at school & also a jazz band concert, Sam at basketball, Greg coaching basketball, and me? Lots of spectating.

Missive to the past

This week's Letter to a Parent comes from Allysha, of Bells on their Toes. {Allysha was nominated by Design Mom Gabrielle Blair.} Allysha wrote a great letter, addressing it to the version of herself who, six years ago, was just about to launch into parenthood. Her insights really hit home for me. Check it out here.

What would you say to an earlier version of yourself? (Besides "don't get that perm"!)

I'll be back later today...still recuperating from my trip and under-the-weather-ness.

Letter to three future parents

What would you tell your kids about what you've learned from raising them? Check out Stie's great letter to her three children at Letters to a Parent. I love her insights and the reminder that we are raising our grandchildren's parents.

Have you been thinking about your own letter?
We have some more great ones coming up in future weeks but it would be wonderful to add your parenting insights to the mix. Here are some hints for writing one.