We all have to make choices and frankly, offering choices is a trademark of my parenting style. So, when I told my children that they had a choice of doing a family Harlem shake or writing dinnertime haiku, each sharpened their pencil.
What Goes Best with Haiku?
Posted by Tammy on April 18, 2013
http://agrigirl.com/2013/04/18/haiku-for-dinner/
My children dislike this phrase because it highlights their lineage back to me. Used here, “a chip off the old block” means a person or thing that derives from the source or parentage. It first appears in the English language in or around 1621 when Robert Sanderson, Bishop of Lincoln, giving his sermon said, “Am not I a child of the same Adam … a chip of the same block, with him?”
Chips off the Block
Posted by Tammy on January 6, 2013
http://agrigirl.com/2013/01/06/making-radish-chips-snacks/
Traditions matter. While I’ve supported that notion on some level for a long time, it took a lesson from my 10 year old for me to fully internalized it.
The Waltz
Posted by Tammy on November 22, 2012
http://agrigirl.com/2012/11/22/traditions-matter/
The kids have been back in school for nearly two months now – long enough for the sweet lazy days of summer to waft into a distant memory. While I miss the unstructured homework-free schedule, there is something reassuring to falling back into a routine.
One of the best parts of autumn is that our dinner time routine stabilizes so that I can look everyone in the eye over a meal and assess how the day has gone. Why I take such personal pleasure in this is probably because it was part of my food and family heritage but now, there are some compelling reasons why we ought to hold onto this tradition and it’s not just for memory’s sake. Here are 10 strong reasons to hold them regularly:
flickr.cc/walkadog/3432071719
Posted by Tammy on October 19, 2012
http://agrigirl.com/2012/10/19/tammys-top-ten-t3-report-reasons-to-have-family-dinners/
I swear. The hardest thing I’ve ever done is try to be a good parent. There’s no book and I probably wouldn’t have read it if there was. I began with great ideals and have flexed into a more adaptive role realizing that kids and situations vary and that some of my ideals would have likely put them on a therapist’s couch for years to come. I pray a lot.
Sixteen Year-old Decision
Posted by Tammy on July 17, 2012
http://agrigirl.com/2012/07/17/raising-boy/
Some of you began reading my blog through my association with Mrs. Q and the fact that I was leading my own private revolution against school lunch programs. It was that and a series of other events that caused us to change our youngest son’s school.
Now, there is no lunch program other than what we pack into his reusable lunch bag and a water bottle but let me tell you, whatever it is, it best not be rubbish or I may be notified.
Night School Photo by Director, Piya Jacob
Posted by Tammy on January 16, 2012
http://agrigirl.com/2012/01/16/the-magic-of-night-school/
Here’s a boring little secret. I often read annual reports. Back in business school, it was required as form of analysis. What did the Chairman really say in his letter? Did the financial evidence support the words? Today, I no longer look from that vantage point but I do zero in on things like “corporate values”. This became of interest to me after the Enron crisis when that silver-toothed energy trader claimed “integrity” as a hallmark of their corporation. I began to realize the “sameness” of values and how unless they were embraced at the top and infused into decision making – including employee selection, there was really no point. It’s a bit like all of those folks with milk mustaches. Got Honesty? Got Integrity?
Embracing Diversity
Posted by Tammy on January 9, 2012
http://agrigirl.com/2012/01/09/embracing-diversity/
Happy New Year! It’s that time when we dust off our desks, focus on the future and decide where 2012 will take us. I find it helpful to consider the year that I’m closing out but not so much that it limits my invention of the year to come. What worked well? What didn’t? What will I commit to do in the year to come? Here’s a glimpse into our 2011.
Gratitude to My Friends and Readers
Posted by Tammy on December 28, 2011
http://agrigirl.com/2011/12/28/2011-a-photo-review/
“Whoever invented this has a straight shot into heaven for making so many people happy.” Those are words from my teenaged son as he sat with a spoon and a jar of Nutella. The “this” was in fact, the Nutella.
Nutella and the Attainment of Heaven
Posted by Tammy on October 16, 2011
http://agrigirl.com/2011/10/16/making-nutella-chocolate-hazelnut/
My parents can be proud of this. Not of me and not of my sister but of the evidence that points to the legacy of their own work.
My 8 year old niece’s head was bent over the craft table in full concentration. She was busy with some type of project. Tugging a phone book as large as herself across the room, she sealed an envelope and asked, “How do you spell Womens’ Resource Center?” My sister assisted and asked what was in the envelope. My niece couldn’t remember. A bit concerned about the phone call that might come from the Center or elsewhere, my sis took a peek.
The Gift? A Note and 5 Pencils
Posted by Tammy on October 4, 2011
http://agrigirl.com/2011/10/04/teaching-children-to-give/
A wife, a mom, an executive, a certified leadership coach and a breast cancer survivor. I love food and I love to write and I'm often fascinated with the life lessons that come from my kitchen. Participating in Community Supported Agriculture is one way that I work towards creating healthier communities.
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