"I'm going to keep these dinosaurs. Just because they're the ones from Nan, so they're special to me." My 11-year-old son, Newt, is going through a box of toys, figuring out which ones to give away. When he says this. I actually feel my entire body relax. My mother died five years ago on July [...]
My aunt died. My great aunt. She was 97-years-old, suffering from Alzheimer's, and I hadn't seen her in four years. And yet, I'm crying my eyes out. I don't understand myself sometimes. It's like I'm a giant lake, held in by a structurally questionable dam that breaks at the exact times when the engineers predicted [...]
I've never been to BlogHer. I didn't go this year for numerous reasons. For one, I've lived through two Illinois summers and suffered through multiple visits that always seemed to coincide with a heatwave, and lately I'm against torturing myself if I can help it. For two (I know that's wrong, but does anyone know [...]
"I'm having that feeling again." My 9-year-old daughter has her arms wrapped around my waist. One cheek is pressed against my stomach. I've just spent the last hour reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to her and her brother, and now I'm trying to extricate myself from the area. She's gotten out of bed [...]
We're a family of three, not four this week (or four, not five, if you count the dog). Newt, our 10-year-old, is away for two nights with his classmates at a wilderness camp. At Lake Tahoe. In the snow. Fortunately he's not snow camping (because that's only for crazy people). They're in cabins with heat [...]
Like an innocent little schoolgirl, romping 'round the playground, I've been smacked on the back by a bigger, stronger, faster kid and declared "It" in a brutal game of tag. Okay, that's not entirely accurate. But bullying is just so "in" right now. My friend, Kelly DeBie over at DeBie Hive has tagged me in [...]
Well, after three-and-a-half-plus months, I finally did it. I got my hair cut. I was starting to think I was going to end up like Crystal Gale. Or one of those Oprah makeovers where they find the woman who's also wearing huge glasses, circa 1970, and light blue mom jeans. I wasn't being a complete [...]
I found this short movie last night. Don't ask me how I found it or where. I was in an Ambien stupor at the time and have no recollection of how it got on my computer. When I woke up and saw it on one of my tabs, I suddenly had a flashback that I'm [...]
One of my favorite lines of all time is from Young Frankenstein (coincidentally just viewed by the kids and me the other night -- they were, of course, totally impressed). Dr. Frankenstein and Igor have just pushed a coffin out of a grave, and Igor says, "Could be worse. Could be raining." Cue thunder clap [...]
Logan finally came home yesterday. For those of you not following the story, my 24-year-old cousin drowned about a month ago at Lake Almanor, California. They didn't find his body for about three-and-a-half weeks. My aunt finally got his ashes yesterday. To say this was an arduous process would be an understatement. I don't want [...]
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