Author Archive: Clare Frederick
I’m free
This here fly landed in my coffee cup the other day. And then I drank it. It was thick and fuzzy in my mouth, and I got a pretty good understanding of the nature of true fly substance before I spit it out. Probably the grossest thing I’ve done in a while, but hardly a [...]
A cracked Gameboy and anti-consumerism
“Shut your pie hole!” I heard my daughter, Nina shouting playfully at my son. She didn’t like how Tyler was apparently laughing after accidentally pushing Aidan onto his Gameboy, which cracked in such a way as to reveal the delicate innards of an electronic toy that was long overdue for retirement. The Gameboy has been [...]
Random techno thoughts of a Fresno mom
Today was a typical good summer morning at our house. We slept in late (even the little kids), woke up, had some coffee, and threw a good old fashioned cleaning party. The cleaning party is designed in such a way as to promote good cheer, while doing something that might not normally be considered so [...]
Say what you mean; mean what you say
The words we speak and write can have great impact on others. If we are to create thoughtful and meaningful relationships with our loved ones, in a world that is fast-paced and scattered, a certain emphasis should be placed on the focus of meaning. It requires good intention, and concentration, but with a little practice, [...]
Teaching kids how to live in the moment
One of the best parts about teaching English II is that I get to give lectures that not only teach the standards, but are also meant to uplift and inspire. I get a lot of ideas from the great lecturers of our time like Randy Pausch, Deepak Chopra, and other professors I have had along [...]
Dollar bills, ya’ll
What’s wrong with the banking system these days that a ten dollar bill is so hard to come by. Sure, there are plenty of twenties rolling around, but what about the elusive ten? The cost of a typical school field trip is ten bucks, or that the common cash birthday-gift-in-a-card thing is ten bucks. But [...]
Eye-Q Two Cities Marathon here I come
When I was in high school and junior high, we ran a lot, and I struggled with it every single time. Not because I was out of shape, but it literally made me ill. I’d get dizzy and nauseous; I felt my head might explode. Running was never my thing. I joined the swim team [...]
Al and Tipper: After 40 years. Really?
Today news sources are announcing that former Vice President Al Gore is splitting from his wife, Tipper – his spouse of 40 years. My first reaction was you have got to be kidding me. Who gets a divorce after 40 years of marriage? Who puts up with all that drama and tension (in the public [...]
Remembering High School
The teens have been in a frenzy as of late. Right now, I’ve got some of them here at home, decorating neon blue shirts with black iron-on letters. They’re going to throw on bright neon paint soon, too. They’re doing this so they can wear matching outfits to the Sadie Hawkins dance that’s coming up [...]
Don’t parent like you’re proving a point. Ew.
Sometimes I hear stories out of the parenting trenches that make me shake my head. I get so perturbed every time I hear about parents acting out against their kids with uber extreme behaviors, that I just want to pass out a memo or something that says: “Hey, parent…you really don’t HAVE to act that [...]
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