My new book, The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball, comes out this week (yay!), and I’ve been spending every free second I have (which has totaled about seven over the course of the last month) trying to promote it. more

If seasons were given titles, then this summer would be, for me, The Summer of My Son’s Issues. Because on top of discovering that he has anxiety, this week I’ve learned that he has a lazy eye. So come to think of it, a better title might be The Lazy (and Anxious) Days of Summer. more

When my son was younger, three or four maybe, I used to think that he was just a difficult person. He was moody, he was clingy, he was super sensitive to my tone of voice and he didn’t like to go anywhere or do anything, unless it was to the toy store to buy him Power Rangers or plastic swords. more

Hey, Ris! How are you? How was college? What did you finally decide to do with your life? I hope you’re not a lawyer. more

A couple of years ago, some friends and I were talking about taking on a pretty big volunteer position at our kids’ school, and we were discussing who else we should ask to do it with us. We brought up some names – no, I heard she wants to be a room parent this year; no, I think she’s going back to work full time – and then another name came up and my friend said, yeah, she’d be great, plus, she’s totally nannied up. more

Twenty years ago, I was president of my class at Upper Dublin High School in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. At the time, nobody told me that twenty years later – when I would have two children, a husband, an eight month old puppy, a book about to be released and, oh yeah, living in California – I would be responsible for planning our twenty year reunion. more

I saw the wretchedly awful Sex and the City 2 a few weeks after it came out, and while there wasn’t much I could find in it to relate to (Personal Maybachs? Private butlers? Harem pants??) there was one scene that resonated with me; it was when Carrie gets the advance copy of her book in the mail, and says that there’s nothing better as an author than seeing the fruits of your labor in print for the first time. more

My daughter has been at sleepaway camp for exactly one week. It has been the longest week of my life. In fact, every day seems to move in slow motion, causing each twenty-four hour period to feel more like seventy-two hours, so really, she’s been gone for three weeks, now. more

As I’ve said before, my son is slightly obsessed with Wii Lego Star Wars. Despite the fact that I have banished it to the weekends, it is still all he thinks about, and all he ever wants to talk about. more

I have a somewhat reserved personality, and I will admit that this does not always make it easy for people to get to know me. In the past, women (who are now my good friends) have told me that when they first met me, they felt that I was cold, and kind of bitchy. more