It’s official! We have a college student in the house. Or, more precisely, out of the house. Last month we moved Sam into his dorm room, and he has successfully completed his first two weeks at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Goodbyes are never fun, and Sam endured a lot of them before he left: his dogs, his soccer buddies, his girlfriend, his sister. We cooked … Continue reading He’s Launched!
Detasseling corn is a rite of passage in Nebraska. Every July, groggy teens climb aboard dusty school buses at dawn, bouncing along gravel roads to cornfield after cornfield. Kids fan out across the field, one person per row, tasked with pulling the tassel from the tippy top of each stalk of corn in their assigned row. After row. After row. Detasseling was my first job. … Continue reading From Detasseling to Dipnetting
These days I’m never sure whether I’m moving forward, backward, or sideways… which made January’s palindrome days sadly validating: February gets me as well: Groundhog day is the perfect way to acknowledge pandemic weeks that blur together in an endless loop. In our house, mornings always start with the miserable task of waking our teenagers. It’s shockingly difficult. Apparently the only thing teens hate more … Continue reading It’s LITERALLY Groundhog Day
Sadly but not shockingly, the year is rounding out with a Christmas tree shortage. Really 2020?! Fortunately, we harvest our tree from the Chugach National Forest each year, which has 5.5 million acres of spruce to share. Access roads and pullouts weren’t plowed like usual, but eventually we found a spot to safely stash the truck while we wandered into the woods. It was an … Continue reading Treepiphany
My friend Nancy has a way of drawing me waaaaay out of my comfort zone. In hindsight, this has been going on for nearly two decades. Exhibit A: In our pre-kid days we spent a leisurely afternoon hiking the Winner Creek trail in Girdwood, only to cap it off by spontaneously launching ourselves off Mt. Alyeska in tandem paragliders. I wish I had better photos, … Continue reading Branching Out
Happy {gasp} 15th Birthday to Sam! Long gone are the days of planning themed parties around my children’s passions. Last weekend Sam invited a few friends via SnapChat, and I think the theme was “Come hang at my house and we’ll avoid my parents as much as possible.” In all seriousness, Sam and his friends are all great kids. They even let me torture them … Continue reading Fifteen: One Cool Ride
When you’re fourteen and a freshman, there is always something new in your life. For Sam, it started with his first official job as a soccer referee last summer. His love and knowledge of the sport made this a natural fit; he started with U10 games that paid $15 each. He was all smiles when his first paycheck arrived in the mail. It was $60, … Continue reading Freshman Firsts
This weekend I saw a post on Facebook that went something like this: “When I grew up, we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by wearing green. The End.” Luckily I’m able to laugh at myself, because this post is most likely directed at moms like me who like to turn every special occasion into a themed extravaganza. Take our annual St. Paddy Poker Party for example. Perhaps we should rename … Continue reading St. Paddy Poker Party
You know that moment when your daughter kinda sorta thinks she got a horse for Christmas, when in reality she got a JOB helping to care for someone else’s horse? Yeah. that happened here on Christmas morning: It all started a few months ago when Clark had an epiphany about Maggie: “She’s a 4-H girl!” he exclaimed. It’s so true. How had we not seen it … Continue reading Tuesdays with Rosie
Today I’m grateful that Maggie is alive. She was not kidnapped, trampled by a moose, eaten by a bear, or lost and frostbitten in the woods. Possibly more miraculously, her father and I did not kill her. I should probably back up and explain. The evening started off in a typical manner: I was tackling the dishes, Maggie was avoiding homework, and Sam was begging … Continue reading Happy Endings
Profoundly Ordinary 