Like most parents, I struggle with getting my kids to do chores and am always looking for new ideas to try. Since we have different chore expectations for summer and the school year I end up making at least two chore charts for the kids each year: one for summer…
Saturday dawned cool but sunny – perfect weather for planting trees! The boys were disappointed that they couldn’t come along to pick up the tree, but Teacher didn’t think there would be enough room for them and the tree. As usual, Teacher was right; we had to put both back…
Last fall our pear tree fell victim to gale force winds that whipped through the neighborhood with the force of a tornado. The storm was so dramatic that my childcare children still talk about it, nine months later. I decided I wanted a dwarf weeping flowering cherry tree to replace…
When I took Little Guy to the dentist I anticipated that he’d have some cavities, but I wasn’t prepared for cavities in all four of his front teeth, plus in the molars on both sides of his mouth. I felt like the worst mom in the world when I heard…
Anyone who’s posed for a family photo knows that the more people you have, the harder it is to get everyone to look at the camera and smile at the same time. Now that our family has grown to thirteen and includes a baby, two wiggly toddlers and a couple…
One of my favorite family traditions is “Second Thanksgiving.” Like all the best family traditions, Teacher and I didn’t plan to start a new tradition; it just evolved. Don’t get me wrong – we love going to Ike and Elle’s place for “regular” aka “First” Thanksgiving every year. Ike roasts…
When we bought our house we inherited several things along with it: Pepto-Bismol pink exterior, clumps of thistles and cilantro five feet high, kitchen cupboards gummy with cooking oil, ugly 1960s trim and wrought-iron details, glossy white paint on every interior wall, I could go on and on. Let’s just…
This is the mulch that Grandpa got. This is the door (with an arrow in white) that shows how ginormous the pile was of mulch that Grandpa got. This is the Uncle, so tall and strong, that shoveled the pile (that ginormous pile) of mulch that Grandpa got.…
When it comes to home improvement projects I don’t have much patience and usually want things done NOW. That’s when Teacher gently reminds me that “life is a marathon; not a sprint” and that the only way to get somewhere is by taking one step at a time. A few…
In no particular order… 1. “Could you please not sneeze into the batter?” – Irish Girl to Little Guy while making cheesecakes. Keep an eye out for the recipe – it’s worth the wait! 2. “This isn’t my band-aid – why is it on my knee?” – Jo-Bear, staring at…
