Maggie asked for a puppy-themed 9th birthday party. My initial reaction was, “Aren’t you a little old for that?” But in my quest to be a less-controlling mother, I let it go and agreed that a puppy party was a brilliant idea. As usual, when I let my children take the lead on things like this (you know, things that matter hugely to them yet … Continue reading Puppy Dog Birthday: A Perfect Paw-ty Theme!
We have officially survived a full year of puppyhood with Tess! In retrospect, we should have purchased stock in Costco paper towels, Resolve carpet cleaner, and ridiculous Petco dog toys. Maybe we still should? Our little Labrador may look full-sized, but she is still a puppy at heart. She likes to pop soccer balls, chomp on XtraTufs, and play hide and seek with our socks. … Continue reading A Puppy Party
One of the best things about living in the 49th state is its proximity to the 50th state. Hop on an Alaskan Airlines jet, and a mere six hours later you find yourself in a Hawaiian paradise. It’s magical. Here’s a little photo journey of our Spring Break 2015 – definitely something to be thankful for! We’ve traveled from Anchorage to Maui four times, and for … Continue reading Gratitude 15: Hawaii Highlights
February, you nearly killed us! We used to live in a duplex, and for years we lived in Unit A and rented out Unit B. It was easy to keep an eye on things when we lived right next door, but now we live all the way across town. Needless to say, these days it takes a little longer to notice when things go astray at the … Continue reading Gratitude 14: Done with the Duplex
I can’t believe it, but our little girl has a boyfriend. (Don’t worry, I’m not talking about Maggie. That would warrant counseling, not blogging.) It’s Tess. Now that she’s 10 months old, I guess she is practically a teenager in dog years. For the past week, our neighbor’s dog has been stopping by around 8:30 each night. He sits on our front porch and gives … Continue reading Gratitude 13: Puppy Love
Today Sam won his school’s Geography Bee. For real! Photo evidence: Some of you will remember when Sam was in second grade, how he so desperately wanted to enter a geography bee that he decided to invent one. If you care to hear the tale of our little boy and his enormous lie, you can read it here. But in a nutshell: he created geography bee … Continue reading Gratitude 12: Watching Your Child’s Dream Come True
“And always remember, while your right to express yourself may protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, being heard is a privilege that must be earned.” ~Steve Johnson, UAA Debate Team A few months ago I attended a debate about marijuana legalization in Alaska. It was moderated by Steve Johnson, the coach of the University of Alaska-Anchorage’s award winning debate team. Both sides … Continue reading Gratitude 11: Civil Discourse
Today, finally, I am grateful for time. It’s the first day of winter break, and for the next two weeks life gets to slow down. Even amidst the craziness of the holidays, there is more time for the things that matter. Time to cook real breakfasts and eat better dinners. Time to take walks before the sun sets. Time to read, and time to write. … Continue reading Gratitude #10: Time
Friday, October 24, 2014 Today felt like a gift. Each moment was wrapped in a shiny bow, and I untied every second. Due to a late parent-teacher conference night earlier in the week, I only had to work until 11:00. The kids didn’t have school at all, so Clark took a vacation day. As soon as the work day was done (okay, maybe 10 minutes early) … Continue reading Gratitude #9: Today
Today I offer up two strange and seemingly contradictory items of gratitude. Bear with me. Gratitude #7: Dry Pavement. Oh how I miss thee! This morning I woke at 4:30 AM to nearly a foot of unexpected snow. I say unexpected because yesterday the kids were roaming the neighborhood without coats, and Clark drove his ’67 Camaro (note: not a winter vehicle) to the grocery store. I … Continue reading More Gratitude: Dry Pavement, First Snow
Profoundly Ordinary 