Jamie Janosz

Yesterday, my daughter and I worked on her English class homework assignment. She was asked to take one of her vocabulary words and make a poster to represent its meaning. We brainstormed her assigned word "adage" and decided to create a wise old owl who is quoting proverbs. Then, our creative side took over. We found paint, construction paper, feathers and googly eyes. We painted and glue-gunned our hearts out. What started out as a simple illustration became a 3-D extravaganza. It was big and colorful and could fit well into any kindergarten classroom. At 9 pm, she came back into my room with a smirk on her face. "I just saw some messages that my friends are posting on facebook," she said. "I don't think we were supposed to make a big poster. They're talking about just taping an illustration on a piece of notebook paper." We both looked at her gigantic, colorful project and busted out laughing. Perhaps we'd made a bit TOO much effor...

What was your favorite book as a middle-school or high school student? Do you remember what you read for fun - and why you loved it? Please jot down your answers: I will post every comment! My favorite was the first LONG book I ever read: Mrs. Mike . It detailed the adventures of a young woman who married a Canadian mounty. It balanced romance with rugged adventures and even detailed an amputation. It pulled me far away from Wolcott Junior High School in Thornton, Illinois, into another world of snow and horses and drafty log cabins. I was sad to see it end! What was one of your favorites at that age?

Some days it's tough to be a mom. I watched the Lifetime show Dance Moms last night. The show focuses on one particular dance school named for instructor and owner, Abby Lee Miller. Set in Pittsburgh, the reality drama follows a group of pre-teen dance students as they train hard to win prizes. My daughter was only enrolled in dance for a brief time - when she was four years old. She was in a combo ballet, tap, and gymnastics class led by a 75-year-old woman named Miss Jeannie. Parents were enthralled as we watched our little ballerinas sashay behind their animated teacher. The young girls loved Miss Jeannie. Our second experience was not so great. Sabrina wanted to audition for the local Nutcracker ballet. She had limited experience, so was cast as a Toy Soldier. I did not expect the intensity of both the teachers and the parents. Competition was fierce. The instructors threatened parents that if our children missed or were late more than twice - they would be thrown out o...