The other morning I woke up to some surreal information: “I think I just saw you in an Obama campaign ad!” For a few heady hours I was under the impression that my image appeared in an ad supporting President Obama in the upcoming election. This was not entirely unlikely in that I am a stock photography model for an agency that specializes in regular “mom types.” This agency sells those images to various other agencies and occasionally my likeness pops up in TV ads, …

The other day I was at a playground watching my friend’s son gather a swat team of boys while he shared his collection of toy guns and rifles. The team was assembled; the boys hashed-out the game rules and began their dramatic enactment of a siege or coup that I didn’t bother to understand. What sparked my interest was when a dad of two involved boys came over with fire in his eyes. He firmly scolded the boys for touching the toy guns and demanded they put them down and leave the game. Not …

 There’s a media storm kicking up so much dirt and dust right now that I can barely see my Facebook timeline. Hundreds of posts have appeared over the past 24 hours about TIME magazine’s provocative cover photo AND story – which appear to be two separate issues of debate and contention. Allow me to describe: We have an unlikely depiction of an “attachment parenting” mom nursing what appears to be a 7th grader. Okay, he’s not quite 4, but with clever art direction …

 “So, when your daughters are 15, are you going to take them to the gyno and have them put on birth control?” my friend asked me recently over a shared omelet. Before I could sputter a response, she went on: “I remember when I was in 9th grade, this one girl – you know, the type who lived in the modern section of town, with a tree growing out of her glassed-in foyer – her mom hauled her off to the gynecologist for birth control pills when she was 15.” I nodded, …

“You’re going camping with your EX HUSBAND?” my girlfriends squeal. “Are you crazy?” I shrug it off saying simply, “Well, it’s a tradition now…” My ex-husband, David, and I have been separated for over three years, so each summer when I announce that we’re going camping again folks continue to find this a surprising curiosity. Neither David nor I wish to forfeit our annual camping trip with the kids, so we’ve agreed to uphold the …

"Mommy how old were you the first time you DID sex?" my precocious seven-year-old asked. I burst out laughing and before I could answer, my eldest stepped in and said, "Oh! I know - just do the math! I'm nine so...counting pregnancy - it was about ten years ago." This made me laugh even harder. I managed to side-step the question but I did explain that not everyone has sex in order to make a baby. That answer prompted this question: "So, how long do you have to DO sex for? Like …

For months, I’ve been attending workshops at Babeland, the women-friendly, sex-positive shop in New York City. In addition to the very popular workshop “Art of the Blow-Job” the store has an on-going “Sexy Moms Series” which I recommend to all parents. Wednesday night’s free workshop was about “Raising Sex-Positive Kids”. Personally, I could hardly wait for this one and with good reason. Though I spend a lot of time exploring sexual intimacy in adult …

Ever wonder WHY it's so hard for human beings to give birth? I mean, why does it have to be so difficult and carry on for hour after painful hour? Why have we worked hard to devise methods of pain relief and surgical procedures to "deliver" women from this burden? Is it something to truly be "delivered" from, as the term originally indicated? One thing that is helpful to know, is that as Homo sapiens, we have a difficult time birthing because our pelvises are so narrow. Any wider, …

  I arrived early for Babeland’s "Eco-Sexy Earth Day Workshop" which focused on natural lubricants and dildos made from natural materials. Let's face it, if you're going to go GREEN you may as well go whole-hog, and Babeland does not skimp on eco-friendly alternatives. Even traditionally leather harnesses and restraints were offered in vegan-friendly nylon (though it was pointed out that "floggers" do not work well when not made from good old-fashioned leather). Dallas, …

  One summer day, when I was about twelve, I woke up and realized that nothing felt right. The day went on and the feeling of unnamed dread persisted, but I had nothing to pin it on. That night, my beloved cat was hit by a car and killed. I thought about that day yesterday as I lay in bed staring at my gauzy mosquito netting.  What does the day look like when you know your dad is going to die? It looked sunny and clear with no indication of anything out of the ordinary. Why was I so certain it …