I’m not sure what is up with me. Usually I covet the time I carve out to write in this blog, but since we’ve been back I’ve felt a bit uninspired. A transitional period, perhaps? Nothing profound? Post-vacation funk? Back-to-school blues? Or maybe we have just been going strong, reuniting and reconnecting with our Alaskan family. In hindsight, we’ve only been home for a little … Continue reading Inspired vs. Tired
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
What a treat! For Sam’s 8th birthday, his grandparents gave him tickets to a NCAA Men’s College World Series baseball game. We offered Maggie the choice of joining us or spending the night with her Grandma Cox, and she opted for the sleepover. “I’m not such a big sports fan as everyone else in this family,” she declared. Wellokaythen! I’m not a huge baseball fan … Continue reading Take Me Out to the Ball Game…
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…
Shhhhh. This is all sort of top secret, so as a mother I really shouldn’t be sharing all these details. But apparently our children have formed their very own book club. The members are Sam and Maggie, along with two of their oldest family friends. These four brilliant children have picked a name, designed a logo, and even invented a secret handshake for their new … Continue reading Kids Can Have Book Clubs Too…
It’s amazing what heavy equipment can do. This weekend the excavator arrived, and the alders met their match. Don’t get me wrong: remnants of their roots are still lurking beneath the surface, so I know the war is not over. But I do feel like we’ve won round one of the battle. The hill out front is nearly ready for seed. Quick recap: here is … Continue reading Alder Slaughter… Success!
My way of making the kids’ birthdays special is to take something they love and turn it into a full-blown party. We toned it waaaaay back this year, with only a handful of guests. (See… I actually learned something from Maggie’s giant Bird Party back in April!) For Sam’s celebration, we simply took a few kids bowling, and then came back to our house for … Continue reading Bowling Themed Birthday Party
Profoundly Ordinary 