On Sunday Clark decided to take the kids hunting. A light dusting of snow had fallen the day before, so apparently the conditions were ripe for tracking without trudging. Clark has been dreaming about this day since the kids were conceived (probably longer) just as much as I’ve been dreading it. Don’t get me wrong: I’m grateful Sam and Maggie have a dad whose greatest … Continue reading Bunnies and Pachyderms
“Our plan for this gorgeous day was the removal of some of our animals from the world of the living into the realm of food.” ~Barbara Kingsolver, from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Sometimes it bothers me that I’m married to such an avid hunter. How can he look into the eyes of a beautiful piece of nature, only to pull the trigger and watch it die? … Continue reading The Realm of Food
It’s rare to find an Anchorage resident who hasn’t climbed Flattop, a 3,500 foot peak in the Chugach Mountains. Today we decided it was high time the kids ascended it too. It had been years since Clark or I had scaled the peak. So many years, in fact, that we couldn’t even remember how to get to the trail head. As we pulled up the … Continue reading Flattop Flashback
Back-to-school season has arrived, which explains both my decreased posts and increased moodiness. Target’s back-to-school ads in July make me plain irritable, but by August I am ecstatic to purchase supplies for my own children. What gives? The same goes for clothing: buying new pants in a bigger size on an annual basis is exciting for the kids, but not so much for me. And … Continue reading Back To School
I really, truly suck at goodbyes. My stomach starts churning anxiously a few days before any dreaded farewell, and I frequently find myself sneaking off to the bathroom to blot tears from my eyes.
Yesterday we had to say goodbye to the girls. It has been two great weeks, and their parents missed them desperately. We all knew they needed to go home, but that didn’t make it any easier.
Damn I love those girls!
I hate how spread out our families are, but must admit that when we do get together it is quality. We cram at least a year’s worth of memories into the week (or two!) that we carve out each year.
We made the absolute most of our Cousin Week bonus days. We explored small town swimming pools, celebrated the 4th of July together, played games galore, and visited the Omaha Children’s Museum.
Last week we kept crazy busy, rushing and running from one big event to the next. First was the water park and lemonade stand. Next came zoo day. The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha is unbelievable. In addition to all of the outdoor exhibits, it has an aquarium, jungle, desert dome, aviary, butterfly pavilion, kingdom of the night, IMAX theatre, and Skyfari, where you ride … Continue reading Less is More
My brother and I grew up on a gravel road, several miles from the nearest highway or town. But you bloom where you’re planted, right? So one day we decided to give the lemonade stand thing a go. We set up shop at the bottom of our driveway, and parked ourselves in the sweltering heat. The traffic on our old country road averaged one car … Continue reading The no-lemons-but-only-lemonade-day!
We have this game we play at dinner called “Best & Worst,” where everyone at the table shares the best and worst events of their day. Today, hardly anyone had a worst to share. Maggie’s worst was scraping her knee when she fell off her scooter, and my worst was forgetting to take towels to the pool. None of the other six people at the … Continue reading The Very-Good-No-Worst Day
It’s ironic that we live in bear and moose country in Alaska, but the kids’ most scarring animal and insect stories always happen in Nebraska. In 2008 we had our first Nebraska summer trip, and our 4-year-old Sam was terrified through half of it. With his full-blown insect phobia, he wasn’t a happy camper in the tall weeds of Nebraska. I’d hold him on my … Continue reading Nebraska Nightmares
As much as it pains me to watch my children grow so quickly, I must admit that traveling with them has become infinitely easier. See those suitcases packed with ridiculous crap? Who cares! I’m not the one hauling them through the airport anymore! As if that doesn’t make me giddy enough, Humpy’s now has a branch in the airport. (Humpy’s = Very Cool Anchorage Bar … Continue reading Leaving on a Jet Plane…
Profoundly Ordinary 