Traveling is always an adventure, throwing out tests left and right. What do you do if you accidentally check your ID in your luggage? (Beg security.) How many times will the kid in the seat behind you throw up? (Four.) How many hours can you live on Starbucks alone? (Six. Maybe eight.) How many bagels will your kids eat in one day? (Three. At least.) You have to be flexible. You have to be prepared and ready for anything. On our way home from Florida at the end of our … [Read more...] about what if the cabin loses air pressure?
family life
coming home, as good as going away
I'm just getting settled in back at home from a week of vacation. The great thing about traveling is that you realize the things you love and miss about your home while getting to take a break from things that are rubbing you raw. You come home with a new sense of gratitude that a little distance can provide. On this vacation, I unplugged from work, stayed up reading fiction into the early hours, drove with the windows down and the music loud, and quieted the track of go-go-go that seems to … [Read more...] about coming home, as good as going away
my very own space
Now that the weather has turned, I'm happy to have my nook back. It's technically a three season porch so in the winter months it is uninhabitable. Even with the direct morning sun, you could still see your breath in there. So, the door stayed closed and my little room sat empty most of the winter. In our old house, which was a small two bedroom, we had an extra room that we called the sun room because it had two walls of windows. It was one of those useless rooms that was too removed from … [Read more...] about my very own space
from sunday blah’s to monday a-ha’s
The last couple of Sunday's I've had an intense case of The Sunday Blah's. By 3:00pm on Sunday afternoon I've found myself in a funk of the worst proportions. A downward spiral of crabbiness that I couldn't seem to shake. It's not the looming week that sets me off. I actually love Monday's. I love the back to school and back to work industry of a Monday morning. Routines and systems in place. Monday's make me feel like anything is possible. No dangling carrots are needed. Now Wednesday … [Read more...] about from sunday blah’s to monday a-ha’s
i’m worried about girls
I'm worried about girls. As the mother of two boys, some days I feel relief that I don't have daughters. I'll be honest - girls sort of terrify me. Yet some days I still feel the pang of what if...or who will take care of me when I'm old? Even without daughters in my house, I'm still worried about girls. Part of it is just a general anxiety about the world we live in and what society values. The cult of popularity hasn't lost any steam. And right when the world should be opening up … [Read more...] about i’m worried about girls
do you work outside the home?
Do you work outside the home? This seems to be the latest politically correct way to ask another woman, especially a mother, about her life. I hear it on the playground and at school functions and at parties and events. As someone who recently relocated and is still meeting new people and acclimating to a new area, I've spent the last year trying to connect with other women about their lives and fumbling through explaining my own situation on a pretty regular basis. When this … [Read more...] about do you work outside the home?
spring clean out
Everyone is talking about spring. Spring is not my favorite season. I think spring, I think mud. I think baseball practice bundled in tired winter coats. Wanting warmth so badly that I break out the sandals prematurely and end up with freezing toes. Spring is being so close to being warm, but still being cold. I'd rather just be cold. What I do love about spring is the sense of renewal. A thaw out calls for a good inventory and purge whether it's saying goodbye to clutter around your home … [Read more...] about spring clean out
high point, low point
A quick glimpse at the highs and lows of this week. High point: Meeting Anna Quindlen (more on that later) Low point: Feeding kids grilled cheese with a side of pizza for dinner High point: The birthday love that keeps rollin' in Low point: Polar vortex part deux High point: Band of Horses tickets for Saturday Low point: Yelling at child for ineffective nose blowing All in a week's work. Any high point/low points you want to share? Chime on in. Have a … [Read more...] about high point, low point