Today she drove away. Not for good, thankfully. She was off to soccer practice, followed by an 8-hour shift at work. She’s a busy kid, between sports, babysitting, her job at Subway, and hanging out at the horse barn. Throw in a knee surgery and weekly physical therapy appointments, and let’s just say this girl’s shiny new driver’s license brings as much freedom for her … Continue reading Sweet Sixteen
This girl. Due to Covid, she finished 8th grade online and spent the first three quarters of her freshman year on Zoom. When students were given the option to return to in-person school during 4th quarter, there was never a doubt that she’d go back. The kid is busy. Every day she packs three bags and a lunch: one for schoolwork, a second for soccer, … Continue reading Maggie 15.0
Here I sit in September, finally exhaling after a whirlwind summer that blew us straight into a new school year before anyone had a chance to fasten their seat belts. I’m scrolling through a zillion cell phone snapshots and feel the need to pay homage to all the Alaska adventures we had after returning from New York, DC, and Nebraska. Here are those summer 2018 … Continue reading Summer 2018: The CliffsNotes
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
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
In case anyone else out there wants to throw a bird-themed party, I thought I’d share a few ideas that we used to pull it all together. When Maggie initially picked this theme, I had no idea what we would do. In the end, we had more ideas than we could use! Designing the invitations is my favorite step in the party planning process. I … Continue reading Bird-Themed Birthday Party
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
Profoundly Ordinary 