Parents... Stay in the Picture

A couple of years ago, I read an article about how moms should stay in the pictures we take of our kids. My gray hairs have multiplied, but I try to stick to this -- I remember fondly looking through old pictures of me as a kid - and loved seeing what my parents looked like back then, too.

So I have a new plea for parents when you send out annual holiday cards. For those like me - intensely private on social media, rarely sharing photos of people online - it's often the only way I get to see what old friends are up to, what they look like, and how much their kids look like them or their spouse. But more and more often, holiday cards feature only the kids, maybe along with pets.

I remember the moment this happened when my parents received Christmas cards from their friends. I was about 7 or 8 and all of a sudden, I only saw my buddies in the holiday cards strung across our living room. Now that we're grown, we want to share photos of our kids in similar ways.

Living away from many, many, many of my friends (and even stateside, I wouldn't be near all of them...), I miss seeing their faces in this annual tradition.

So on behalf of your friends who haven't seen you in a while: don't leave yourself out of the holiday photo card!

Comments

Saturday Morning Comparisons: by haiku

2 haikus 9 am Sunday morning in downtown Austin: Cyclists in spandex spin by Amidst the stench of vomit and homelessness Empty streets save for a motorcycle parade. 9 am Sunday morning, Alstadt, Mainz: The sun is shining A giant farmer's market fills the plaza Pedestrians, bikers, families smiling together.

Repatriation, Month 2

We're in the second month of returning stateside. What an evolution it's been. We relied heavily on family to get us through the first few weeks, spending nearly every weekend with cousins. It was nice, but they have their own routine, and we needed to establish our own. Finally, with the house painted, new floors installed, furniture delivered (hallelujah!), assembled, and boxes (mostly) cleared out, it looks like a house we can live in. Camping had become exhausting and wore the kids out. On the other hand, suddenly having a full house somewhat overwhelmed them - they would start massive fights over a single toy, ignoring the fact that there were now quite a lot of options to choose from. Given our long-term exhaustion over the past several months, this has been an annoying challenge. We have started to establish more of a routine though, and I already feel my mood lifted because of it. I hope it's the same for the kids. The early morning school routine hurts (whyyyyy...

The Failure of the Mueller Development in Austin

About ten years ago, development began on a 'forward-looking', 'sustainable', 'transit-oriented' planned residential development that would be near the city, called Mueller in Austin. Today, it's wildly popular, with higher-than-average per-square-foot housing costs, high HOA fees, and homes selling quickly. However, I believe it is a total failure. Austin had a chance to start from a clean slate, where a truly people-centered community could be built. One with dedicated bike lanes, infrastructure for transit growth plans (extra lanes for bus rapid transit lines... tracks for a tram... anything, really). One with businesses sprinkled throughout the community in a way that would offer true walkability. More options like the garden court homes (which sold super quickly, by the way, but are unfortunately VERY limited in quantity) which have protected and shared backyard space for multiple homes in the same way a German baugruppe of housing might. Things th...

What the Blog?

Search This Blog