Sunday afternoon I packed the kids’ stuff for camp as I’ve done at the same time every summer for the past five years. I’m happy they have this opportunity to go every summer, to break up the routine, make a few friends and maybe escape the Sahara Desert heat wave that usually socks us in this time of year. We’re […]
Camping by the Numbers
One camping trip under our belt so far this year. Just the one. One 3,783 foot increase in elevation from home to our camp site, 131 miles away. One 12 degree difference in temperature. One camp trailer that weighs as much as the Death Star. One tent in addition to said trailer, because 2 boys will no […]
We’re either instilling financially literacy, or raising embezzlers
Hey mom, “I just found a ten thousand dollar bill,” Colin said, eyes wide. “Just kidding,” he added a nanosecond later, knowing how quickly I make plans. He pulled out a laminated bookmark a teacher had given him. “See? It’s a fake. They don’t really make ten thousand dollar bills.” That’s good information, just in case I was thinking of […]
Driving each other a little crazy
Jack came home with his learner’s permit last night and drove us to dinner. That sounds so nonchalant. My kid drove. With all of us in the car. At the same time. I took a few pictures and then passed the camera to Mike who took one from the front. Then he passed the phone […]
Camp food that won’t kill you
So… Camping this weekend. Fourth of July. Yippee… (fizzy half-firework in the distance … phhttt). This will be our first camping trip of the season, and thus will have been preceded by at least a full two days of preparation: cleaning the trailer, packing, determining whether the sleeping bags ever got washed at the end […]
That’s a long way to run for a poser
Mike and I are signed up for our next half marathon in two weeks. Then we have another race three weeks after that. Events are a good way for me to keep from flaking out on working out, and make me seem way more badass than I really am. On Sunday we took our last […]
Mommy Wanabees and Monkey Poop
I don’t get a lot of snarky comments on my blog, and for that I’m grateful. But this showed up the other day: “To be honest, I didn’t see the Mommy relationship in this blog…” Huh. Suddenly I’m in English Lit class circa 1990. The comment was left on a site that compiles a pool of […]
Why I don’t cook more
When my sister in law, Julie, came by, I don’t think I thanked her for the huge bag of cherries she left on my counter. I was too preoccupied with the fact that a whole bunch of fruit was going to go to waste, while there are kids eating dirt cookies in Africa. Raw cherries […]
Outdoor concerts and cheesy-corn
Mike and I were in the beer line at a concert last week. “I think we cut in front of you,” Mike said to the guy behind us. “No, no, not a problem,” he said, amicably. “Boy, what a line. I think there are more people here waiting for beer than there are up by […]
How not to watch the game (Part II)
… I don’t know if it’s all that important, but I was not affiliated with any particular political party at the time my boyfriend and I were saving seats for the Campus Democrats at our Homecoming game (if you missed yesterday’s post, here you go), but still perfectly happy to stave off drunk fraternity guys for […]