Author Alexandra Retana blogs about her book, medicine, kids, life, and whatever else comes to mind
One of the first things I did when I got a job that paid money was hire a cleaning lady. It was a given that I would, since I hate housework, and am no good at it. I actually suck pretty hard at it. As time went on, I outsourced more and more stuff. Some … Continue reading Mommy guilt: the struggle is real
Well, so, just like anything in parenting, we have our ups and we have our downs, and often they come in rapid succession. Just yesterday I was fawning over my son's genius, basking in the glow of his awesomeness... And today, I was sent crashing down from Olympus with astonishing velocity. His teacher called. She … Continue reading All these thoughts…
My son just never ceases to amaze me. And my daughter, too. And also, how different they are. In yet another installment of "My child is a genius," I bring you this story. It really belongs in the "Sh*t my son says" section, but it's too long and too great to stick there. First, a … Continue reading Teaching kids about illness: when vague explanations just don’t cut it
I remember in high school AP English class, stumbling upon existentialist literature--Sartre and Camus, to be exact--and being utterly stunned. Existentialism is the idea that the human being, is not defined by the world around him, rather, the world around him is defined by the individual. "Existence before essence" is a key idea, meaning … Continue reading Discussing everyday existentialism: a few theories
It’s pretty much widely accepted that when you’ve got two busy parents who work, getting dinner on the table frequently gets hairy. I try to be that mom and prepare a week’s worth of meals on a Sunday, but... ok, I’m straight up lying; I think I did that once. The bottom line is, on any given … Continue reading 8 Dinner hacks for the working family who comes home hungry
It's world mental health day! So, let's discuss depression. Anywhere from 3 to 17% of the world's population suffers from it, with US being one of the highest. That is a lot of people! It leads me to wonder a) why the difference in prevalence and b) why did we not hear about depression as … Continue reading Advice for friends and family of people with depression: 5 things to consider
If you think about it, the tree is an amazing creature. As a tree grows and ages, it becomes more and more difficult to deliver water to the top from the roots, thereby setting an upper limit to its height. Eventually, distal limbs become too "expensive" to support, and stop developing; this is why the … Continue reading Of trees and birthdays
One of my all time favorite movies is Ferris Bueller's Day off. Remember the part where he makes a recording for the doorbell? "Oh, I'm sorry. I can't come to the door right now. I'm afraid that in my weakened condition, I could take a nasty spill down the stairs..." I don't know if … Continue reading A nasty spill down the stairs
I am back home from Vienna, and a little sad, a little relieved... happy to be home, but you know how it is when vacations end. I wanted so much to do a travel series when I was in Vienna, but clearly, I am a half-assed blogger, and never did, save a humorous post … Continue reading 7 places to eat in Vienna
And Why Not! 