Sarah Smiley - Bangor Daily News

The chaos caused by waffles

Mornings — especially school mornings — are a particularly chaotic time when you have three young children. Much of the chaos centers on breakfast. And by “breakfast,” I mean “frozen … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 11/16/09 | 538 views

Strangers become real friends

When you are the new family in town, as we were a little more than a year ago, people tend to make promises. “We should have you over to dinner,” they say, for example. But promises don’t … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 11/9/09 | 489 views

Flu shot experience stressful

I debated whether to get my children the H1N1 flu vaccination. Then I remembered that I’m a hopeless hypochondriac. Luckily, on Wednesday, a free vaccination clinic was opened to all school-age … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 11/2/09 | 641 views

Lost ducky a surprise favorite

During a recent bike ride, Mike, who doesn’t have children, unknowingly made a profound observation about parenthood. “The hills that look really bad usually end up being pretty easy,” he said, … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 10/26/09 | 2393 views

This is why Maine beats Florida …

Before I begin today’s topic, let me take a moment to discuss the two types of feedback I receive from readers. The first inevitably begins with, “I've been meaning to write and tell you … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 10/19/09 | 4797 views

Fall a sign of things to come

You know how the seasons — and all the sights and smells that go with them — often can remind you of specific periods of your life? How the smell of blown-out birthday candles and hot wax brings … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 10/12/09 | 1061 views

Table shows the etchings of our lives

When I was growing up, my family ate dinner together at an old wooden farm table. The nightly tradition was formal, in that we were expected to use manners and not sit on our feet, but mostly it was … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 10/5/09 | 743 views

Military makes for literal mind

Dustin and I have just returned from a two-day vacation in Boston, where we saw U2 in concert at Gillette Stadium (“Tonight we are in the presence of God ... and Tom Brady,” lead singer Bono said). more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 9/28/09 | 646 views

Admissions to level the playing field

I spend a great deal of time making fun of my good-natured husband, Dustin. Maybe you’ve noticed. I keep a file of letters from readers expressing their concerns that I’m too hard on Dustin just … more

By Sarah Smiley
Special to the NEWS | 9/24/09 | 670 views