the devil’s spawn

Earlier I see the kids messing around with some water that has been sitting out on the back deck for a while. Afraid they’re thinking about drinking the water, I pop outside to see what they’re up to. “There’s little things swimming in the water!” Lydia exclaims. “We’re pretending they’re baby frogs, so we’re going […]

kitchen complaints, episode six

Sam: “I’m still hungry!” Pause for effect. Sam: “I’m still hungry!” He still gets no reaction. Sam: “I would like some more veggie sticks.” Me: “Please?” Sam: “I would like some more veggie sticks, please.” Me: “Okay, I’ll give you a few.” Lydia: “You mean several. You will give him several veggie sticks, because a […]

end of year notes

And suddenly it’s the end of 2015. This year went by so quickly there were some things I never got around to writing about, so I figured I’d fill in the gaps. Not sure if we did way too much this year or if I’m just getting old. Maybe a bit of both. In October […]

christmas eve update

Sam had Santa cracking up with his endless talk of Godzilla. Lydia, however, had heard it all before. Times the cat has eaten the tree and barfed: 0! Times the cat has climbed inside the tree and set Mommy’s blood pressure boiling: 7 How many times the kids have noticed the huge presents with THEIR […]

the tree + one, 2015

And now, ladies and gentlemen . . . The Tree, 2015. Once again, the smaller tree is Lydia’s responsibility. Total lights on the tree: 2,930; a new record! Times the cat has eaten the tree and barfed: 0! Times I’ve yelled at the cat when he launched off the tree skirt: 50 Ornaments children have […]

in memory of Harrison

Grieve Not, Nor speak of me with tears, but laugh, and talk of me As if I were beside you… I loved you so…. ‘Twas Heaven here with you. —Isla Paschal Richardson Surely you’re enjoying the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had.

secret extraction

Last week I was getting some laundry started when Lydia came up to me and announced, “You know Sam lost a tooth this morning, right?” I turned around to look at Lydia, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Don’t lie to me, girl. You’re telling such a fib.” She continued grinning wildly and insisted, […]

summer doldrums, diagnosis, and upcoming busy things

Once again this blog has suffered due to the summer doldrums. I am not a fan of summer, and it seems to sap all that is creative out of me. Thankfully, October begins tomorrow, and this Saturday we’ll have a high of only 68! Super excited! Summer has been busy, and we will continue to […]