In the fall of 2005, I received a job offer to teach at an elementary school. After thinking it over long and hard (because we really needed the money), I decided I wasn’t going to go to work. I was going to try to do the mom thing full time and really embrace it. Since we weren’t putting Elle in preschool due to lack of funds, I knew I would need to do something to keep us both entertained. Thus the idea for “Letter of the Week” was born.

Summer is winding down and so is corn on the cob season. ( Boo! Nothing is better than corn straight from the cob.) So I thought I better cover “How to Eat Corn on the Cob” while there is still a little time left:

We have been grilling all summer and one of our favorites has been chicken and veggie skewers, so I had to get in “How to Eat a Kabob” while there was still some summer left.

I always knew I would resurrect the “Garbage Can Words” lesson of my youth; I just didn’t dream that I would be the reason I would need to. It all started when my son told my friend, “My mom says the D word every day.

I should have added one more No-No to my Kids Table Manner Lesson #18: No-Nos at the Dinner Table: NO playing with your food. It’s cute when you’re 2, but not when your 12.

I served dessert first. (I mean if we are going to talk about the end of the meal manners, we have to be at the end of the meal, right?) My kids were happy and surprised to see cookies on the table when they came to dinner.