Archive for the ‘Kids’ Category

I Have a Foot-Long Zucchini

Okay, get your mind out of the gutter and into the garden.  And technically, it’s 15 inches long. But this is what happens if you forget to check your crops every day. Our zucchinis mature so rapidly that the green gourds grow from 5 inches to 15 inches in length practically overnight. I love to […]

Fly Free!

Here in the Northeast, we have far fewer bugs and critters that get into the house than we did when we lived in Texas. My Yankee-kids have never become accustomed to having many insects in the house. Consequently, they haven’t grown up with the aversion to the creepy crawlies that I have. Whenever a cricket, […]

Because I Said So

As we approach Mother’s Day this weekend, I am reminded of the many Mom-isms that I heard while growing up. “Don’t sit so close to the TV. You’ll ruin your eyes.”  “Don’t run with scissors.” “Put on some lipstick. You need some color.” “Wear clean underwear in case you get in an accident.” And of […]

Yearbook Portrait: Fact or Fiction?

As we close in on the end of the school year, students anxiously await the arrival of the yearbook. Picture Day earlier in the year was an adventure. The night before, my daughter carefully planned her outfit, accessories, hair and make up for the big day that would generate an image to be immotalized in the yearbook and […]

Ramp Up Your Happiness

Outside our local bank is a ramp for wheelchair access and for those who can’t or don’t want to take the stairs.  It slopes to the right, turns 180 degrees, and returns to the left, ending in the parking lot sidewalk.  When my children were toddlers, they loved that ramp.  It didn’t matter that it took longer […]

Plan to Be Surprised

“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” ~ John Lennon One of my favorite movies is the comedy Dan in Real Life. The trailer for the film was awful. It wasn’t funny and did nothing to explain what the movie was about. If I hadn’t stumbled upon the film while […]

Are You a Crazy Old Person?

When I was 15, I had to spend an extended stay in a military hospital in Texas. Because I was going to be there for a while, the nurses spared me from a bed in the open ward and told me I could have a semi-private room. The only catch was that my roommate would be […]

Mouse vs. Cats – You Decide

Around 4:00 am, there was a lot of activity going on in our bedroom…under the bed. Instead of chasing each other, my cats were clearly after some other prey.  Very few rodents have ever managed to get into our house, much less survive a night with three cats on the prowl. One adventurous (or stupid) mouse decided to […]

The Gift of a Child

There’s always that one moment on Christmas Day. As Karen Carpenter sang, “Greeting cards have all been sent. The Christmas rush is through.” The shopping for, or making gifts that I hoped my friends and family would love, is complete. All the other activities are done. Decorating. Baking. Holiday concerts. Parties. Wrapping. Unwrapping.  Assembling. Playing. Then there’s that singular moment […]

Close Your Eyes and Leap

As the lovely green Elphaba sings in Wicked, sometimes you have to trust your instincts, close your eyes and leap.  Parenthood is a lot like that. I’m always amazed at our animal kingdom friends who just know what to do when becoming parents. Clean. Feed. Hunting lessons. The first thing Mommy animals do is cut […]