Our daughter is downright giddy tonight: A few weeks ago one of her bottom teeth started to wiggle. I figured it would be a good six months until she lost it, judging by her brother’s loose-to-loss ratio. But this girl is tenacious. She has been viciously biting into apples and carrots, rotating it with her index finger, and pushing on it with her tongue. Her … Continue reading Losing Our Baby… Teeth
I tell our children that reading is a gift. A gift that cannot be stolen, and one they will have for life. I firmly believe it, too. History has a tragic track record of denying people the right to read in an attempt to prevent them from revolting against oppression. Ironically, there are many amazing books that best illustrate this point. Take Nightjohn by Gary … Continue reading All Buggy Eyed
Today we delivered Maggie’s donations to Anchorage’s Bird Treatment and Learning Center. Instead of birthday gifts, Maggie’s classmates brought everything from bleach to toilet paper to help stock the supply cabinet at the Bird TLC. The Bird TLC volunteers and employees were so appreciative that they offered Sam and Maggie a mini tour of their facility. The kids met a crow (yes, a crow… not … Continue reading For the Birds: The Finale!
We survived the bird-day party without too many ruffled feathers. Oh sure, there were a few bonked heads and plenty of tattling, and some odd moments (like when a little girl locked herself in the bathroom with a hijacked doll stroller). But but what can you expect when you invite 14 kindergarten girls to your nest? All you can hope is that you will learn … Continue reading For the Birds: Part II
It’s fun to watch our children develop interests that are completely and uniquely their own. So it goes with our bird-loving daughter, who since the age of two has enjoyed the caw of ravens and the scavenging of magpies. Now that she’s older we drive past a marsh each day, which is alive with seagulls, swans, terns, and geese. At Christmas we gave her a … Continue reading For the Birds: Part I
It’s a long story and far from ideal, but our children (grades K and 2) attend different elementary schools. Hopefully it’s a short term scenario, but for the most part it’s going okay. That is, until today. Both schools were hosting dances tonight: a square dance at Maggie’s school, and a pre-prepubescent Valentine’s dance complete with a DJ at Sam’s. What to do? The kids … Continue reading Do-Si-Do’in with Justin Beaver
Profoundly Ordinary 