Promotion: My kid doesn’t hate school the way I did. Which feels like a huge achievement.

A Visit to Vanity Fair: My glamorous sister dresses me for a night on the town. Just like when Meg goes to visit the Gardiners in Little Women. But without the remorse.

How to Hem Your Jeans (so they won’t look dorky): a step by step guide.

So You Want to Build a Sukkah: Despite my lack of crafty cred, I become strangely obsessed with building a festive harvest hut in the backyard.

The Motel of Lost Companions: No one needs a friend quite like an overwhelmed, exhausted new mother. Allison and I were the only two on the block. I thought we’d be pals forever.

Plus, hitchhiking with kids; thoughts on revisiting Narnia; a double-spread of book recommendations; my family meets a bear, a Moroccan encounter at the grocery store, and the best hamentashen recipe.

Note: Miranda will cost $3 beginning with issue #21. Back issues are still $2.

A Little Stranger – A tale of medical drama. But not the kind you’d expect after hearing the word “tumor.”

Sweet Chebakia – Sure, Ramadan’s tough, what with all that dawn-to-dusk fasting. But Moroccans have this delectable treat to anticipate – and I’m still yearning for it.

What is Cool? – Good question, son. Mama circumvents her unhip past in an attempt to impart the mysteries of style to a ten-year-old (For him, at least, it won’t be velour.)

At the Tracks –Travel back in time to a shocking era when suburban parents allowed their kids to play unsupervised…at the railroad tracks!

Under the Knife – In which years of reading medical memoirs and watching doctor shows on TV turn out to be less than adequate preparation for real, live surgery.

Plus, another batch of book recommendations; a simple recipe for strawberry cake; the Motel of Lost Companions revisits a candlelit Moroccan night; and Mama’s Stray Thoughts, including the ultimate fate of Lego men, the triumph of getting small boys hooked on A Little Princess, and why middle school girls wear those tight jeans.

Rochambeau – A new town, a first job, a whole heap of uncertainty.

Frivolous – True confessions: I love the New York Times wedding announcements. And so does my nine-year-old boy.

The Tintin Effect – how a series of classic comics informs my son’s world view.

The Passion – The good teachers had it. I did not.

Plus, the Motel of Lost Companions encounters a ghost; lots more book reviews; Mama’s Stray Thoughts (featuring hipsters vs. hippies, the toddler love of sticks, just how well Simon knows his mother and an April Fool joke you really shouldn’t try). Also, things overheard in the blueberry field and an excellent recipe for challah.

Kubla Khan in Morocco – How the crushing heat of a North African summer inspired me to memorize a classic poem.

Not the Austins – As a kid, I vowed that my future family would be a model of literary, artistic togetherness, just like Madeleine L’Engle’s Austin clan. Let’s see how that worked out, shall we?

Homegrown Rituals – A peek into some of Alder Street’s seasonal celebrations. (Hint: we like fire.)

Swallows and Amazons Forever – Why my kids and I love a series of eighty-year-old British books.

Bad Decision – “What are some bad decisions people make, Mama?” Oho, little boy, don’t get me started!

The Lab Man – A blood draw early in my life as a parent teaches me a thing or two.

Plus, my boys love Freddie Mercury! The Motel of Lost Companions goes back to high school; lots more book reviews; Mama’s Stray Thoughts (encompassing the geeky nature of yours truly, some odd kid questions and the shocking truth about volunteering in school); and a recipe for scrumptious cheese puffs.

Waldorf School Drop-out - Gnomes, knitting and watercolors? Don’t mean a thing when you’ve got the teacher from Hell.

Love Object – Mama’s got a crush. Big time.

Library Ethics – Using your kid’s card to reserve extra books for yourself – clever strategem or unethical scam? Readers weigh in.

Stocking Up for Winter – Ma Ingalls never froze pesto for the winter, but she’s my inspiration.

Book Luck – You can read the review, but until you get it back from the library, who knows what the bookish wheel of fortune holds in store?

Plus, the Motel of Lost Companions goes back to an old babysitting job; more book reviews; Mama’s Stray Thoughts (encompassing knights, breasts, and the girth of the Empire State Building); and a recipe for the most delectable parmesan chicken you’ll ever taste.

Peace Corps vs. Parenthood – Two instances of severe culture shock, one a whole lot more fun than the other.

He’s the Boss – And I’m not talking about my kid. Mama goes back to her NJ past for this reminiscence.

Alter Egos – Everyone’s got a secret side; here’s mine.

Burning Down the Store – An unlikely pair of heroes douse flames nightly in a long-running bedtime saga.

Plus, the Motel of Lost Companions looks inward; lots more Book Reviews, Mama’s Stray Thoughts about being pestered to have another child and the definitive word on “trying for a girl.” Also, crazy-good tomato pesto.