Sarah Smiley - Bangor Daily News

You can learn a lot in the dark

An interesting thing happened during our family vacation in New Hampshire. First, it snowed. That’s pretty interesting considering that this winter has seen very little snow in Maine. But more … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 3/8/10 | 485 views

Tweaking bedtime song lyrics

When I was a child and couldn't fall asleep, my grandmother Doris sang a song I called the cabin in the woods song. more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 3/1/10 | 239 views

Government giveth and taketh away

There is good news and bad news. First, the good news. In March 2009, the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community & Family Policy enacted the Military Spouse Career … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 2/22/10 | 1384 views

‘Star Wars,’ Wii tearing us apart

In the 10 years that we have been a family, there have been two instances that nearly ripped us apart: the time that Lindell, 3, erased his older brothers’ Super Mario Bros. Wii profile and the day … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 2/15/10 | 520 views

The warm joys of youth hockey, explained

I enjoyed reading Sarah Smiley’s account of her family’s local youth hockey experience last year, “A mom’s brush with ice hockey” (BDN, Feb. 8). more

By Gayle Middleton | 2/13/10 | 248 views

A mom’s brush with ice hockey

Last week I went to Sawyer Arena in Bangor for the first time in a year. I was returning a friend’s daughter after she had been to dinner with us. From the time that I opened the doors, a … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 2/8/10 | 525 views

Ads set bar too high for moms

My youngest son, Lindell (the youngest of three boys, remember) watches too much television. Granted, he’s not in front of it all day long, but he watches more television than I ever allowed my … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 2/1/10 | 987 views

A mother’s account of college life

Last week I wrote about returning to school 11 years after my college graduation. Besides adjusting to homework that isn’t my first-grader’s and reading textbooks while patting my 3-year-old son … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 1/25/10 | 708 views

Going back to school humbling

In the fall, my friend Aaron used this as his Facebook status: “There was a creepy old guy in my Masters class today. It was me.” I laughed for a long time about that, even as I was also in the … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 1/18/10 | 758 views

If otters read stories about us If otters read stories about us

My middle son, Owen, 7, recently learned to read. For homework each night, he reads aloud a book that he is working on at school. Yesterday, the book was about a baby otter searching for food. First … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 1/11/10 | 765 views