I’m never sure when I pass someone running in an event if I should say “good job,” or “keep it up” or something like other runners say to me when they pass – which is a far more likely scenario. I always credit their encouragement to the fact that I look like I’m about to […]
They came bearing rocks and faux pearls
“Here mom,” Colin said plunking a rock in my hand. “I found it near the shore. When it’s wet, it’s a different color pink. I thought you could put by the window in the kitchen with the other one I found for you.” Other one? I thought about the pebble I had found in my […]
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A Tale of Two Failed Trips
Saturday, mom woke me up by calling at some ungodly hour to ask if we were ready to hit the road. “Nope,” I said, maybe piling on the sleepy voice a little thick, “still in bed.” “Oh, I thought you were going to hit the road early.” Actually that was the plan the night […]
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A Mediocre Mom’s Cookie-Making Method
First, soften a cup of butter. Because somebody said on a cooking show once that using melted butter instead of softened butter makes for harder cookies, avoid melting the butter in the microwave. Instead put two sticks of butter in a large bowl and set aside until it’s softened. This step should only take a […]
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Just one of those moments I’d rather not forget …
Jack asked Colin tonight who’d be on his Zombie survival team. After careful thought, Colin said his team would consist of: Jack Markley, who is good with weapons. Uncle Len Markley, who is good with cars. Bear Grylls, who is good with … well, it’s Bear Grylls. He’s kind of just good with everything, and […]
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Zombie wannabees and how I missed seeing Brad Pitt
Spoiler Alert: or maybe not … This blog entry will deal in a roundabout way with the movie World War Z, and with what at least might be one or more significant plot points as interpreted by a 14 year-old. So, if that kind of thing cheeses you off, like it does my husband, and […]
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Some things shouldn’t require explanation
There are moments when I think Colin exhibits what I want to believe is latent cleverness beyond what he could have inherited from either of us. Other times I’m pretty sure his relentless questioning is actually a form of obsessive compulsivity that I’ve seen before (ahem, Mike). Since overt boasting about my kids isn’t really […]
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Of Swearing, Shakespeare and Smackwagons
Last week, Colin suggested a family ban on cussing, including his own use of profanity. Although I appreciate his attention to the matter, our ten year-old is more disposed to biting than swearing. I suspect the focus of his ban is probably more on me cleaning up my act. I don’t have the same kind […]
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King of the campsite
From time to time this weekend, I noticed the couple in the campsite across from us. They would get up early, go for a run, come back for breakfast, jump on their bikes, disappear again, come back late for dinner. They were fabulously unencumbered by kids and pets and all their accouterments, ready to flee […]
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What I’m doing when I should be working
So, it’s a hundred and freakin’ who knows how many degrees outside, and inside we’re starting to make each other crazy. I think part of the problem is my kids only unplug from the matrix long enough to make demands, eat all our food, or yell at each other. The other part of the problem […]
