I am currently sitting in my kitchen in suburban Portland, surrounded by three sticky children and a literal mountain of laundry, trying to remember why I thought hosting nineteen five-year-olds was a smart move. My son Leo turned five on April 12, 2025, and his only request was a Heeler family extravaganza. Being a mom…
Austin in October is supposed to be “autumnal,” but on October 14, 2025, it was a humid 91 degrees at Zilker Park. I stood there with my golden retriever, Cooper, who was busy trying to eat a stray blade of grass while I panicked over a cooler full of melting juice boxes. My nephew Leo…
Last April 10, 2025, my twins, Maya and Sofia, turned twelve in our drafty Chicago bungalow while a freak sleet storm rattled the windows. I had exactly thirty-five dollars left for their celebration after paying the heating bill, and I was determined to find the best treat bags for butterfly party fun without ending up…
The smell of wet cardboard and the high-pitched screech of a plastic whistle still haunt my dreams from last October 12th. I had twenty-four fourth-graders vibrating with sugar-induced energy in my Houston classroom, all because I promised my nephew Leo a “legendary” superhero bash for his tenth birthday. I have survived indoor recess during a…
Pink glitter is everywhere. I mean everywhere. Embedded in the dog’s water bowl. Caked under my fingernails. Woven into the fibers of my favorite sweater. Three weeks ago, my oldest daughter Chloe turned 12. Twelve is a tricky age. They absolutely refuse traditional games. They just want aesthetics, a staging area for taking pictures, and…
Last March, my living room looked like a blue, red, and green crime scene, and I was standing in the middle of it with a glue gun in one hand and a cold cup of coffee in the other. My middle child, Leo, was turning seven, but his obsession with Connor, Amaya, and Greg hadn’t…
My classroom floor in Houston is currently a graveyard of broken crayons and half-eaten goldfish crackers. After ten years of teaching second grade, I have seen every possible party theme pass through these double doors. Most of them are forgettable. But last spring, when I decided to throw a “Decades Day” for my twenty-four students,…
Austin humidity is a beast that no amount of setting spray can truly defeat. Last April 12th, I stood in my tiny backyard in East Austin, sweat pooling under my vintage floral midi dress, staring at a three-tier lemon sponge cake that was slowly listing to the left. My niece, June, was turning two. We…
Egg-cellent Adventures in Minneapolis: Joseph’s Eco-Friendly Hunt! @the_real_joseph: Hey GINYOU community! Joseph here, from chilly Minneapolis, though it’s finally starting to feel like spring! Just wrapped up our big annual Easter Egg Hunt with the grandkids – Liam (3), Ruby (4), Kai (5), Isla (8), and Willow (12). Plus, Nala the lab had her own…
I teach first grade in Houston. I manage twenty-two sticky, loud, hyperactive children five days a week. You would think planning a simple weekend birthday party would be a breeze for me. You would be dead wrong. Last spring, my sister practically begged me to take over my nephew Leo’s 5th birthday bash scheduled for…
