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Jan 30, 2012

Friday nights are made for kids...

Jan 17, 2012

Age is nothing but a number, unless you're baby is growing up...

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    Amanda's Blog

  Jan 30, 2012
    Friday nights are made for kids...
  Jan 17, 2012
    Age is nothing but a number, unless you're baby is growing up...
  Jan 9, 2012
    Vacations are good for the soul. They're also good for parenting...
  Jan 2, 2012
    Good New Year's resolutions never go out of style...
  Dec 19, 2011
    A child's heart can bring you to your knees...
  Dec 12, 2011
    Thankfulness is something we can learn from our children...
  Dec 5, 2011
    How can children learn the value of a dollar without hard work?
  Nov 28, 2011
    The love that skips a generation is like no other...
  Nov 21, 2011
    The situation at Penn State continues to enrage mothers who can't imagine sacrificing the safety of children for power and money.
  Nov 14, 2011
    Out of the mouths of babes...
  Nov 7, 2011
    Sometimes our children can surprise us beyond our wildest expectations...
  Oct 31, 2011
    In our family Halloween is celebrated with gusto. It is all about treats, and not just about the chocolate ones.
  Oct 17, 2011
    When the State Fair is in town, there's no doubt about it, we're going...
  Oct 10, 2011
    Sleep is a luxury when you're a a parent...
  Oct 3, 2011
    Creative children often show their creativity in their fashion choices...
  Sep 26, 2011
    As our children gro up, we recall our own youth through their milestones...
  Sep 19, 2011
    In our wired world, disconnecting is hard to do...
  Sep 12, 2011
    Cast your stones if you will, but mom is doing the best she can...
  Sep 8, 2011
    Remembering September 11...
  Sep 6, 2011
    Balancing work and family is never easy, especially when that work involves a hurricane.
  Aug 29, 2011
    Out of the mouths of babes...what is love?
  Aug 28, 2011
    Starting a new school year is both anxiety-provoking and exciting for children and parents.
  Aug 15, 2011
    Kids keep us honest. Sometimes it can be an expensive lesson...
  Aug 8, 2011
    Losing something is the worst, but finding it again is the best...
  Aug 1, 2011
    Stop the violence. It's a message we've all heard before, but how many women must die before we finally listen?
  Aug 1, 2011
    What a woman wears says a lot about what she faces that day...
  Jul 25, 2011
    We could all use a fuzzy friend when times get tough...
  Jul 18, 2011
    When you are elbow deep in trash, you have to ask yourself, "How did I get here?"
  Jul 11, 2011
    Sometimes technology helps us connect with our children...
  Jul 4, 2011
    There's nothing like a puppy to bring more love into your family.
  Jun 20, 2011
    We do it because we love them.
  Jun 13, 2011
    Oh to be young again and to enjoy the sweet promise of an endless summer...
  Jun 6, 2011
    When the baby bird leaves the nest and learns how to fly, it can be hard on Mama bird...
  May 31, 2011
    Out of the mouths of babes...
  May 26, 2011
    If you wouldn't say it to your mother's face...
  May 23, 2011
    Setting a good example for your children often involves a lot of sweat.
  May 15, 2011
    Watching your kids grow up is never easy...
  May 9, 2011
    Fish beware...my house is a risky place creatures with fins.
  May 2, 2011
    A spork is a spork by any other name...
  Apr 25, 2011
    Glasses have gone from corny to cool since I was a kid...
  Apr 18, 2011
    Babysitting is one way to make money when you're an adolescent, how about personal assistant?
  Apr 10, 2011
    Baby, in my eyes, you're already a star...
  Apr 4, 2011
    The gift of giving...
  Mar 28, 2011
    Out of the mouths of babes true wisdom springs eternal...
  Mar 21, 2011
    A new phase of parenting begins...
  Mar 14, 2011
    Parents ALWAYS need to be prepared for whatever comes their way...
  Mar 7, 2011
    Remember the "second shift" phenomenon when women started working...welcome to the "third shift."
  Mar 2, 2011
    When the mother of a child who has been killed tells you to "Hug your children," you listen.
  Feb 28, 2011
    President or regular old working mom? Life doesn't always turn out the way we planned it...
  Feb 24, 2011
    Who is your hero?
  Feb 17, 2011
    Love means different things to different people...
  Feb 7, 2011
    Forgetting...is it my age or my full life?
  Jan 31, 2011
    if you think you're cool, think again. Just ask your children!
  Jan 24, 2011
    Okay, I'll admit it. I thought I was impervious to "Disney Magic," but I've been bitten...
  Jan 17, 2011
    As parents we get to enjoy those rare moments when our children are not self-conscious, but unbridled, unfettered, unspoiled by what others think...
  Jan 10, 2011
    Disney World is the ultimate kid fantasy, right? Check out how my youngest reacted to the words-"We're going to Disney World!"
  Dec 29, 2010
    People keep asking me, when are you going to write another parenting humor book? The truth is I did write one, but it took me awhile to get it into the market. It is finally here!
  Dec 20, 2010
    Too old for Santa? Never...
  Dec 14, 2010
    If you thumb your nose at the criminal justice system, why should we accept that you have changed?
  Dec 13, 2010
    My brain is so full I can't remember what I had for breakfast...
  Dec 7, 2010
    We are all just a sum of our parts-but at the end of the day a mother's legacy is the most important part of her life...
  Dec 6, 2010
    Pardon me if I don't suscribe to the Hallmark version of the holiday season. Can't we simplify this whole thing?
  Dec 3, 2010
    Twenty-first century dads rock...remember 70's dads? I don't either!
  Nov 22, 2010
    Giving thanks isn't always about the big stuff...it is usually the little stuff that means the most.
  Nov 16, 2010
    There is no excuse for murder. But sometimes we need to know "the why." This is especially true when the defendants are teenagers.
  Nov 15, 2010
    What happens when the Statue of Liberty has a major meltdown?
  Nov 8, 2010
    What would you do with a million dollars?
  Nov 3, 2010
    Interviewing the parents of a child who has died is the hardest part of my job.
  Nov 1, 2010
    Once Halloween passes, everyone, from retailers to kids, has Christmas on the brain...
  Oct 25, 2010
    Halloween can be tricky when you have a tween...
  Oct 19, 2010
    Sisters love each other, for sure. But they also go through ups and downs in their relationship and mothers are there to referee.
  Oct 12, 2010
    Having a hard day is different for kids...as parents we need to understand their obstacles.
  Oct 6, 2010
    Sometimes the lines between work and home blur...
  Oct 4, 2010
    Let them read books-that's what I say. The question is what books?
  Sep 28, 2010
    Bedbugs are bad bugs, but are there good bugs? My daughter sure seems to think so!
  Sep 20, 2010
    Wish our children would hold onto our hands forever, but alas, they do have to grow up...
  Sep 14, 2010
    Love in a sink drain in jail. You have to read it to believe it!
  Sep 13, 2010
    Unconditional love is easy to receive, but not as easy to give...
  Aug 31, 2010
    The deals we make with our kids, sometimes rational, sometimes not...
  Aug 30, 2010
    Schedules are good for everyone-but it takes time to get used to the routine again for kids and parents.
  Aug 18, 2010
    A sense of humor is always welcome in a tragic world...
  Aug 16, 2010
    Tod do or not to do? It is the eternal question we face every single day of our lives. What we choose ultimately defines our path.
  Aug 12, 2010
    Life truly is stranger than fiction. A judge had a little fun behind me on live television this week...
  Aug 9, 2010
    When is reality too much reality for young minds?
  Aug 2, 2010
    Sometimes our children push us to do things that are out-of-our comfort zone...
  Jul 27, 2010
    Join me this fall for my new venture. Teaching nonfiction writing at Wake Tech's Cary campus!
  Jul 26, 2010
    Even when we become parents, it is important to remember that we were daughters first.
  Jul 19, 2010
    A picture really is worth a thousand words, especially if you are there when it is being taken...
  Jul 12, 2010
    Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, and often the beholder is the person staring back at us in the mirror.
  Jul 5, 2010
    Losing a pet is especiially hard for children...
  Jun 28, 2010
    Letting go of our children is never easy to do...even when they are ready to try something new.
  Jun 21, 2010
    Instead of an "Easy Button," I'd like a "Pause Button/"
  Jun 15, 2010
    All work and no play makes us boring people. We can learn from our kids how to make the most out of every minute.
  Jun 7, 2010
    Technology is a blessing if you you know how to use it and a curse if you don't!
  Jun 1, 2010
    You can't yourself too seriously when you have a gaping hole in the back of your pants...
  May 25, 2010
    Every girl needs a red feather boa on the run...
  May 17, 2010
    The tooth fairy isn't perfect, and she's not getting any younger either. Sometimes she forgets things...
  May 10, 2010
    The workplace is supposed to be safe, but domestic violence puts us all at risk.
  May 10, 2010
    Good parenting can make all the difference...
  May 3, 2010
    We all know that buckling up save lives. But how do we get our kids to understand this?
  Apr 19, 2010
    To win or not to win-this is the million dollar question when you're playing games with kids...
  Apr 12, 2010
    Writing and parenting-sounds like a good combination, especially when you can work from home...but it is not always so simple.
  Apr 7, 2010
    Triangle moms-check out this coll upcoming event in Raleigh!
  Apr 6, 2010
    "Evil Next Door" has arrived. Writing a book is a little bit like having a child. This is my third (book) and I hope to have a big family!
  Apr 5, 2010
    Dealing with sickness is part of being a parent-but knowing this doesn't make it any easier...
  Mar 30, 2010
    Somtimes the fantasy of teaching children how to do something is greater than the reality...
  Mar 25, 2010
    The wheels of justice often turn slowly...
  Mar 22, 2010
    Working mothers are never where they are supposed to be at any given moment...
  Mar 16, 2010
    It's the most magical place on earth, or at least that's what I hear. But do I really need to go and see for myself?
  Mar 10, 2010
    Tragedy in Raleigh as a charismatic champion for education is brutally beaten and later dies from her injuries. The mystery deepens...
  Mar 8, 2010
    Nothing like a little paint on the walls to ruin your day...
  Feb 28, 2010
    Are you a working writer? Need some inspiration and support? Don't miss the Triangle Area Freelancers annual spring conference.
  Feb 28, 2010
    Getting kids to do what we want them to do is never easy. Sometimes it can be a hair-pulling, soul-searching, anxiety-ridden experience...
  Feb 22, 2010
    Out of the mouths of babes...a child's wisdom can be a parent's opportunity to see the world differently.
  Feb 16, 2010
    When worlds collide...check out my new blog posts-one about family and one about reporting.
  Feb 8, 2010
    Check out my new "Go Ask Mom" blog on WRAL.com.
  Jan 29, 2010
    Go Ask Mom-a brand new feature on the WRAL Web site. Check it out. I will be blogging there weekly.
  Dec 9, 2009
    Check out the highlight of my week at WRAL. A very inspirational story involving a miracle lung transplant.
  Dec 8, 2009
    When does "celebrity" dictate news? Check out my new blog on WRAL.com
  Nov 20, 2009
    Christmas came early to the Griffin house this year...
  Oct 27, 2009
    FYI-my speaking engagement at WakeMed scheduled for Thursday night has been postponed!
  Oct 6, 2009
    We have created a celebrity culture of "Royal Nonesuch" that has seaped into the mainstream and threatens to turn our brains to mush.
  Oct 6, 2009
    "Dispatches from a Reporter's Notebook"-check out my new blog!
  Sep 29, 2009
    Tune in to see truTv's version of "Deadly Dose" story this Friday on "Forensic Files."
  Jul 7, 2009
    Welcome to Mallory and Chloe's Corner...
  Jun 16, 2009
    "Summer breeze make me feel fine. Blowin' through the jasmine in my mind..."-Seals and Crofts
  May 12, 2009
    An episode of "Captured" on the Oxygen Network will feature the story I am writing about in my next true crime book.
  Mar 24, 2009
    Car discussions between my five-year-old and her kindergarten buddy always make me smile...
  Mar 17, 2009
    Check out this bestsellers list from last week on Amazon. "Deadly Dose" made the list!
  Mar 15, 2009
    Hope you all enjoyed "48 Hours " last night about the Eric Miller case which featured information from "Deadly Dose."
  Mar 10, 2009
    "48 Hours" show about the Eric Miller murder case airs this Saturday, March 14, at 10:00 P.M.
  Mar 4, 2009
    "Big Brother" isn't just a television show. It is a famous reference to a science fiction fantasy that has come true-well almost...
  Jan 23, 2009
    Dear Mr. President...you have inspired my 5-year-old daughter.
  Jan 21, 2009
    Join me Thursday night in Wilson at the public library for more on "Deadly Dose."
  Jan 20, 2009
    Snow and Obama...a day to remember in North Carolina!
  Jan 1, 2009
    I don't usually make resolutions, but I heard a pretty good one the other day that I might try on for size.
  Nov 15, 2008
    Relevance? What does it mean? Why do we crave it so much into today's modern world?
  Nov 5, 2008
    Here I go again hopping up on my soapbox talking about the Internet and civility again. But this time I have some fun with it...
  Oct 23, 2008
    I'm taking part in two fun events this weekend. Join me!
  Oct 21, 2008
    Bring your smile...(and a pretty pink dress).
  Oct 9, 2008
    Art is good for the soul...check out my friend Mary Alice's gallery on her Web site.
  Oct 6, 2008
    Here I go again...Yes, Virginia, it is the Internet that is ruining the civility of our discourse. Ask you mother.
  Sep 30, 2008
    When did the words "Excuse me" become a license to interrupt?
  Sep 24, 2008
    Check out my new blog on WRAL.com called "Living the American Dream."
  Sep 23, 2008
    The art of storytelling is as old as the red clay soil that lines the banks of creeks in North Carolina...
  Sep 11, 2008
    Live storytelling...it is an art that is alive and well in the Triangle. Check out this upcoming event.
  Sep 10, 2008
    How do we raise G-rated children in an X-rated world?
  Sep 5, 2008
    Saying bye to an old friend is never easy, especially when he has four legs and a loyal spirit.
  Sep 1, 2008
    Nothing like a pesky cactus to ruin a good family photo shoot...
  Aug 26, 2008
    My littlest one entered Kindergarten last week with enthusiasm. I thought that I would be a mess, but instead a weight has been lifted!
  Aug 12, 2008
    North Carolina has a lot of rich traditions that are rooted deeply in the red clay soil and I'm not just talking about sweet tea and grits!
  Aug 1, 2008
    Move over Beatles the Jonas Brothers have arrived...
  Jul 21, 2008
    Life doesn't stop just because you published a book...
  Jul 10, 2008
    Phobias are very real to the person experiencing them, especially when that person is five...
  Jun 30, 2008
    "Deadly Dose" is the foundation for the Oxygen show "Snapped," Sunday night, July 6, 10:00 P.M. and Monday, July 7, at 8:30 P.M. Tune in!
  Jun 17, 2008
    And the beat goes on...I'm no rock star, but the cool people I meet at my book signings sure make me feel like one!
  Jun 13, 2008
    Walk like a princess...talk like a princess...words to live by.
  Jun 10, 2008
    Sun soaked days filled with steamy temperatures, lukewarm pool water, and children basking in the freedom of their endless summer...
  Jun 3, 2008
    Thank you, thank you, thank you...my first book signing for "Deadly Dose" was an incredible success!
  May 28, 2008
    "DEADLY DOSE" IS COMING...THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS...
  May 22, 2008
    As I get ready to release my new book, "Deadly Dose," I am keenly aware of how my two disparate worlds- news and family, often collide...
  May 16, 2008
    "Please Stay Back"-words we could all learn from...
  May 8, 2008
    BIGAMY, it's not just happening on a secluded ranch out west with the FLDS- it's happening right here in North Carolina!
  Apr 28, 2008
    Check out "Snapped" from the Oxygen Network on 4/27/08
  Apr 25, 2008
    Southern Women's Show
  Apr 16, 2008
    Planet Child in Cary- check it out!
  Apr 3, 2008
    Wouldn't it be great if we called it a "career journey" instead of a "career path?" I think this would create less anxiety and give people permission to take more risks.
  Mar 24, 2008
    Welcome to my new and improved website! Let me know what you think.
  Feb 20, 2008
    We have an univited guest in our house- her name is Hannah Montana. I've agreed to let her stay as long as she doesn't smoke or get pregnant...
  Feb 10, 2008
    Children have a way of pushing through all the muck that we wade in every day and making our priorities crystal clear.
  Jan 28, 2008
    We all have expressions that we use to describe our love for our children- sometimes they surprise us with theirs.
  Jan 13, 2008
    Happy New Year!
  Dec 22, 2007
    Don't mess with Christmas or you'll pay. Certain rituals are sacred and as a parent you need to understand this early on or you'll wind up on Santa's naughty list...
  Dec 12, 2007
    We forget that everything we know we have to learn somewhere. We assume that our children will pick up basic things through osmosis...but WE actually need to teach them. It's an easy thing to forget
  Nov 6, 2007
    For the month of November please read my blog at www.skirt.com!
  Oct 26, 2007
    When did she learn to do that? This is a phrase I've uttered too many times lately. Is it because I wasn't paying attention?
  Oct 18, 2007
    Animals are an integral and magical part of childhood. In a child's mind anything can be a household pet...
  Sep 29, 2007
    Sometimes I wonder where my kids hear the stuff they repeat to strangers... Probably from me!
  Sep 18, 2007
    Sometimes I just have to stop and think about what my daughters say because it blows my mind!
  Sep 8, 2007
    I admit it- I'm that person, the one who uses her cell phone when there are big signs everywhere telling you NOT to do it.
  Sep 1, 2007
    Out of the mouths of babes- they tell us exactly what we need to hear, even when it is the last thing we want to hear!
  Aug 23, 2007
    They think it, they say it. Children are raw and unfiltered, beautiful traits that we pummel out of them as they get older....
  Aug 15, 2007
    Most parents cry the day their kids go to kindergarten- what about the other twelve years?
  Aug 1, 2007
    I always thought that at this point in my life I would have more time to do what I wanted to do. I was wrong...
  Jul 15, 2007
    Children have remarkable coping skills when they face obstacles, skills that we could learn a lot from...
  Jul 1, 2007
    One of my favorite phrases in a pop song is "soul vacation" in "Drops of Jupiter" by the band Train. I'm on one and I'm not sure if I will ever return...
  Jun 7, 2007
    Pirate or princess? Twenty years ago we would have never asked that question when it came to a girl... Today, it matters!
  May 16, 2007
    For most adults the thought of doing nothing is impossible- we need pharamceuticals or a cocktail to handle this concet. Children have no such worries...
  May 7, 2007
    A child's birthday party is probably one of the most chaotic, exhausting experiences a parent will ever have. But there are rewards...
  Apr 30, 2007
    As parents we have two very important functions- to push our kids up the hill, and to keep them from going to fast down the other side...
  Apr 24, 2007
    Training a child to sleep through the night without wetting the bed is the last frontier between sleepless nights and potentially restful ones.
  Apr 24, 2007
    Sometime life just gets in the way of everything else. If I only had about five more hours a day...
  Mar 14, 2007
    One important lesson that I learned from my mother is how taking care of sick kids is an art- I put those talents to the test last week.
  Mar 3, 2007
    I think my four-year-old may be a champion goal-setter, but I'm afraid that she's setting the bar too high...
  Feb 21, 2007
    Sometimes I'm amazed at what comes out of their mouths and in turn what goes on inside their little heads.
  Feb 18, 2007
    What to give up? 40 days in the wilderness without television- that's what I've decided. Wish me luck.
  Feb 16, 2007
    Kids have a way of putting things into perspective in terms that are simple and direct...
  Jan 26, 2007
    I knew it would eventually happen- those dreaded words: "Everybody else is doing it!" I just didn't think it would be this soon.
  Jan 18, 2007
    Who should our children's role models be? Shouldn't we help them decide?
  Jan 15, 2007
    Living with small children means pretending you know the answer to everything and spending most of your time punting...
  Jan 10, 2007
    The wisdom from a three-year-old is sometimes the best advice you'll get all day. I'm thinking about taking it to heart.
  Jan 5, 2007
    In the old days using the telephone was a privilege. For kids today it's synoymous with breathing...
  Dec 31, 2006
    Eleven long days at home with my kids over the holidays...is it time to back to work yet?
  Dec 18, 2006
    The Christmas pageant, it's a tradition passed down through the ages...one that I'll never forget, but for all of the wrong reasons.
  Dec 11, 2006
    Ever feel like your life needs an EXTREME MAKEOVER?
  Dec 3, 2006
    We don't expect kids to ask the hard questions until they get older. But today's world moves at a frantic pace, and so do their little minds.
  Nov 23, 2006
    Children think their parents are invincible. We're not. What happens when they figure this out?
  Nov 16, 2006
    When I had two girls I worried about when vanity starts to kick-in. The answer- apparently three-years-old!
  Nov 11, 2006
    Sometimes we just have to stop and listen to what our kids say. If we do, we might learn something.
  Nov 1, 2006
    Holidays are supposed to be better with children. Some I would like to skip!
  Oct 26, 2006
    Halloween brings out the child in most of us, especially if you like chocolate. But what does your choice of costume say about you?
  Oct 22, 2006
    What children think about God is priceless. Maybe they could teach us something.
  Oct 15, 2006
    There's nothing better than the thrill of an amusement ride at the State Fair for a child. For a parent there can be nothing worse...
  Oct 10, 2006
    Are you ready to go back to school? If you have a child in school get ready to hit the books.
  Oct 1, 2006
    Parenting moments are usually not all that we imagine them to be. Like New Year's Eve, high expectations set us up for failure.
  Sep 26, 2006
    Magic is the suspension of disbelief. Children seem to have an infinite capacity to do this. Why don't we?
  Sep 19, 2006
    Admitting you're wrong isn't easy, especially when you have to admit it to your six-year-old.
  Sep 17, 2006
    What if we just let our kids "be" instead of scheduling every moment of their lives?
  Sep 15, 2006
    Do we really want to know what people think about us? Do we want to know what our kids think? I'm not so sure.
  Sep 12, 2006
    Children have a creative and unfiltered view of the world. For some reason as adults we lose the ability to see things with wonderment.