Blog, Reflecting

Stretchy Pants Make You Fat

When I was younger, I was fortunate enough to live next door to a very wise and patient lady. Each day after school I would make my way over to Joan and Jim’s house and soak up the advice she gave me on a regular basis. Joan never preached to me and never intentionally pushed advice on me, but her words stuck with me throughout my entire adolescence. She was very wise and one of the most influential women I’ve ever come into contact with. I was convinced that Joan knew something about everything (and still do). I would plant myself in her kitchen or at the piano in the dining room while she prepared dinner and would tell me about what she was cooking. I would run errands with her and listen as she patiently would tell me why she purchased the items she did. I would take walks with Joan and listen to her talk about her Weight Watchers meetings and the exercises we should try. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com

Blog, Parenting, Reflecting

Howdy Neighbor

After spending two weeks listening to my children fight with each other about anything and everything possible, we resorted back to a plan we adopted last summer. They became neighbors, not siblings. As odd and unconventional as the plan sounds, it has worked for us in the past and evolved out of desperation. My son and daughter are at ages (9 and 11) where they both want independence, they don’t want to be bothered with a younger brother or older sister, and they don’t seem to mesh as well as they did when they were younger. Read the rest at http://www.shannonphilpott.com