One of my mom’s favorite stories to tell is about the day I came home from kindergarten and announced, “Pointing with your middle finger is against the school rules.” Most moms would probably reply, “Good to know! It certainly should be.” But my mom, my mom is not like most…
I’m a girl of many projects. It’s really the theme of my entire existence. It appears it’s genetic, as my dad seems to have a similar propensity. And I think I’ve passed it down to Jacob. This week James asks, “Hey Jake, wanna play Little League?” And Jake answers, “Yes!”…
Last year we were into super heroes. But this year, this year we’re into dragons. OK, we’re still into super heroes, but maybe only if they’re training dragons. Around August, in a quiet moment, Nate took the opportunistic silence to declare, “I want to be a Twansfowmewr for Halloween.” “A…
Dear Santa, I’ve been having good behavior these past few days. How are you doing? Have you been fattening up this year? Ha ha ha! About that… I wanted you to give me for Christmas this projector of Spiderman that I saw at Toys R Us and I want you…
On the eve of my newest nephew’s birthday, I’ve been struck by an undeniably clear life-truth: Aunts and uncles are the source of all evil. Maybe that didn’t come out right… what I meant to say is that kids get all of their contraband from the siblings of their moms…
One of Nate’s favorite games is to make me a bed on the living room floor. He invented it— I’m just an innocent participant. First he gets me a pillow to lay my head on. Then he gets a “baybit” and covers me like a large, perfectly fanned wedding train.…
I’m music illiterate. Honestly. I learned about Gangnam Style from kids on Jake’s preschool playground. I kept asking, “What are they saying?” Well, technically I can read music… many years of piano lessons and I was first chair flute in eighth grade. Ask me to tell you the story about my music…
Both Jakey and Natesy like to tell me stories at night in the bunk beds. Nate’s always go exactly like this… In a quiet, secretive whisper: Once upon a time, there were two Jake’s. One was Nate. And one was Jake. They went to the park. And then they heard…
Back when I lived in Spain… a lifetime ago, I remember sitting across the dining room table from my roommate Pilar. Pili, as we called her, liked to practice her english with me. Which I was more than willing to do as every evening I was so mentally exhausted from…
At my house we appreciate a good bad school picture. For me it was always the “Grump Bucket” picture from Kathy Brown’s Preschool. I remember the day well. I was three. It was picture day. Pastel patterned overalls. Cindy Brady pigtails. We’re outside and there’s a crowd of parents cheering…