Sweet Tarts

The sweet and sour of being a parent

Being the parent of an adult child is harder than being a parent of a baby or toddler. Mostly because you can't control the outcome when the child is an adult.

Photo by Elisha Snow

But in some ways it's more rewarding to parent an adult because you can have great conversations with them and watch them really hit the curve balls that life throws their way. This is when you know whether or not you taught them all you could, if you trust that you were a good parent. This is where the rubber meets the road so to speak.


With a two-year-old, all you can do is allow them to have their tantrum and keep walking down the isle. There is no reasoning with them. Until then, I get to enjoy this sweet face. Yes, she's really starting to teethe now, but alas, that doesn't last so long. (I'm already missing the tiny infant stage!)

Christmas is a great time to be a parent. It's also one of the most harrowing holiday experiences because you or your child can go from jubilation to puking in a matter of 10 seconds. Also, no matter how carefully you plan, all bets are off if the car needs new tires (like mine does) or you need a new water heater (put one in last week).

So, to make your holidays just a little brighter, I'm giving away one little gem of a book. (Acutally, it's an eBook, so you can save it on your computer. I'm all about not adding to the clutter of the holidays!)

This little book, Vintage Hip Christmas Crafts by Margie Romney-Aslett and daughters Booke and Megan published by my friends at Ella Publishing will give you just the little push you need to finish decking your halls without going to the poor house. You'll want to break out the hot cocoa, your favorite pair of snuggly jammies and a Harry Conick Jr. CD while you craft to your hearts content. It includes 9 creative step-by-step projects for layouts, decor, gifts and more.

To win, just leave a comment between now and Thursday, December 10th, 2009, midnight MST (mountain time). Tell me about your most harrowing holiday experience (with or without kids). I'll break out the tissues and hand out all the compassion and sympathy that I can and pick a winner at Random.org.

By the way, check out the awesome eZine that my friends at Ella Publishing are writing. It's very insightful and creative. And in case you're missing the best magazine EVER - Simple Scrapbooks magazine - it will give you just a little taste. You can even sign up for their free email newsletter to keep up on the latest from Ella Publishing.

Merry Christmas!