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13 Things to Do Before You Walk Out the Door For Vacation
Men, when you’re standing at the back door with the car running, trying to get a jump on the traffic, and she’s still in the house doing “whatever†it is she is doing. This is what she’s doing. Grab a number and go help her. And ladies, here’s a checklist to help keep you sane while he’s rushing you to get on the road. If you don’t want to come home to a smelly house – you’ll need to plan ahead a little bit. Go through your pile of library books and return them. While you’re there, check out some new books for you (and kids) to read. Don’t forget…
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This thing with my neck
Because I refuse to post pictures of the bruises on my neck on the internet, I will show you what my pain feels like. My smallest son does a good job of conveying my sensory feelings right now. I didn’t write about this when it started two weeks ago, because I thought it would be over by now. It’s not, and in fact, I now have bruises on my neck and shoulder as a result of this pain in the neck. Yeah, you should see me explaining this one. All year, I’ve had severe neck aches come and go. Nothing like Biofreeze to get the kinks out. (They have roll-on…
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I think he’s ready for college
He woke before the rest of us. He made his own breakfast without asking help from any of us.
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The Boys In the Creek
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I Don’t Mean For This to be Sad …
What is it like to be there when someone dies? Death, just like birth, is a profound experience that is mysterious. I talked to a friend, who is a doctor, hoping he could shed some scientific light on what I experienced, and put it into concrete black and white terms. But instead he said that out of the hundreds of deaths he’s wittnessed, they are all profound. He said there is definitely another presence in the room whenever someone comes into or out of this world. Today marks the second year anniversary of her death. I was with her when she died, and it was the first time I had…
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Summer Solstice
Today is the first day of summer, the longest day of the year. The day inspired Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream. ” And, did you know that because it also marks a turning point of the days growing shorter, it is associated with the exile of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden? Midsummer Eve has long been associated with faeries and magic. On this night you’re supposed to be able to see faeries, as the veil between the worlds is thinned. Today, the Earth’s North Pole is tilted closet to the sun; also the day the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky. As the summer solstice approaches,…
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How I punish my boys when they fight
I make them write lists about the ten things they love about each other: He is cool He is good at dribbling with his left hand He is good at shooting the basketball He is good at soccer (spelled soccor) He is a fast runner He is good at Monopoly (spelled Monopoley) He is funny He is quick on ideas He is Special
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Our Lake House, Part II
It had been over 5 years since any property had sold on the lake – so no one really knew what the property should sell for. The high listing price caused quite a lot of mumbling around the lake – lots of speculation. But one thing everyone was in agreement with was that the price was outrageously too high. The realtors kept insisting that lakefront always goes for more. For some reason, we didn’t wish this was our lake house. Instead, we just instinctively knew it was ours. We didn’t know how it could ever become a reality – we didn’t have a clue. But something seemed to tell us…
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The Lake House, Part I
My husband took me there about 9 years ago, when my oldest was 4, and my second son was just a toddler. It was a 3+ hour drive away, and I didn’t know what to expect. I had heard about the Lake – he started going there as a baby when his Grandparents lived there. He learned to fish there, and spent long weeks in the summer growing up there. His Uncle, also his Godfather, now owned his own house there. So we were coming up to stay for the week. I expected to find a run-down fishing resort, complete with houses “sitting on top of each other.†But, I…
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