Sam turned nine last week, and his big birthday wish was to play miniature golf as a family. So off we went to Putters Wild, an Alaskan-themed extreme 3D putt-putt course here in Anchorage. “Nine holes or the full 18?” the owner asked. Her question took me aback. I had a little boy standing next to me who was suddenly – almost instantly – nine. … Continue reading The First Nine
This weekend was the much-anticipated Homer Sea Week field trip.
We weren’t sure what to expect when our children’s school group planned a 3-day field trip over Mother’s Day weekend down to Homer, Alaska, which is a 4 – 5 hour drive from Anchorage (depending on road construction and which spouse is driving).
We certainly didn’t expect the majority of the school to make the trek, but trek we all did. Over 75% of us.
The night before Maggie’s birthday, we were more patient than usual with her bedtime shenanigans. No matter when we send her to bed, she always finds a reason to come back downstairs. Oops, she forgot her water. Ooops, she forgot her book. Oooops, she forgot to take her asthma medicine. Her last trek downstairs is always with open arms, simply asking for another goodnight hug … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Maggie Style
Our son is obsessed with geography. Looking back, I think it started with a road trip between Nebraska and Missouri the summer before he entered kindergarten. He was contained in a car seat for seven straight hours, but thanks to a few road maps and a U.S. atlas he was as happy as tourist with a shiny new Canon. He spent the entire drive quizzing … Continue reading Part 2: Or Not To Bee
Spelling bees are shockingly intense events. I’ve been organizing them at my school for the past few years, and my heart simultaneously breaks for the kids who are eliminated and pounds with anticipation for those who volley through the final, tongue-twisting rounds. I serve as the pronouncer for our school bees, but I can still see the parents in the audience, nervously clenching their hands … Continue reading Part 1: To Bee
I adore Maggie’s teachers. They are a team of professionals with high expectations of not only themselves, but also the students and families in their classrooms. They have strong opinions about public education and literacy, some of them unconventional but all of them in alignment with my beliefs. Thanks to them, many inquisitive little minds absolutely love coming to school each and every day. Oh, … Continue reading Whoops!
This is not a post about Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. There are already plenty of those, and since I was one of the early voters it’s out of my hands anyway. I’ll avoid making judgments today and wait for the wisdom of hindsight. Instead, this is a post about our son Sam and our dog Kodi. The events in this post happened eight years … Continue reading Election Day History
I finally got the kids their own “real” library cards this weekend. Up until now they’ve had pretend cards they received years ago during a preschool story time, and all the books we borrowed actually went on my account. That worked when they were toddlers and we only wanted print books, but times have changed. Both for our family and for libraries! In this digital … Continue reading Living Libraries
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
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…
Profoundly Ordinary 