The Rockwood Files

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 One of my dad’s favorite television shows was Sanford & Son, which aired through most of the 1970s. I was a little kid then, but what […]

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 As a new parent, everyone braces you for how challenging the newborn phase will be. They make jokes about sleeping while you can because once the […]

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 A few weeks ago, we had this short but wonderful pocket of time right before our oldest son’s college graduation. For four days, we had all […]

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 The children are afraid. Terrified, in fact. But you’d never know it by looking at them because they’re too scared to move a muscle, especially the […]

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 A year ago, a tornado hop-scotched through our town. It was past midnight, and I was watching a movie at home with our teenagers. When our […]

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 I used to be a fidgeter. I’d tap on things and bounce my leg so fast that Tom would sometimes reach over and put his hand […]

  By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 I have a long relationship with waiting rooms. I’ve attended medical appointments for three kids, two dogs, one cat, and one husband. For nearly a […]

By Gwen Rockwood, newspaper columnist and mama of 3 A windsock shaped like a hot air balloon with a spiral tail is suspended above our backyard deck. When the wind blows, the balloon spins, and […]