I had one of those “dad moments” (for lack of a better term) the other day. I was with K-Man and we were enjoying an afternoon of parks and play. In the midst of all of this, I realized that I wasn’t exactly in the moment as I should have been. I was distracted. My mind was wandering. K was chattering away about this or that (and probably fire trucks), but I wasn’t altogether “there.” That’s when I looked up to see that he was riding an escalator. [more]

* Let me preface this by saying that we do not live in squalor, but in the South, and it's summer and buggy. Enough said.

I snuck upstairs this morning to get my shoes right before heading off to work. T. was, supposedly, still sleeping. When I crept into our bedroom, though, I found her wide awake, lying on her back in our bed and staring at the wall in rapt concentration--like someone studying something very detailed and absorbing.

"Mama," T. whispered to me in hushed tones. "There was a happy spider on the ceiling, and now he's on the wall!" [more]

A couple of months ago I took T. to a birthday party at the house of one of her little school friends. As soon as we walked in the front door, I was struck by the fact that there were framed wedding pictures hanging in several places in the living/dining room, and a massive white embroidered wedding album lying out on the sideboard in the hallway. I asked the hostess how long she and her husband had been married (they have two children) and she told me nine years. [more]

I’m no longer the proud owner of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. It’s been two days since I sold my bike. And, I’m still a bit sad. There’s a bit of a hole in my identity, just as there is in the garage where the giant bike sat for the last four years.

I had wanted a Harley since I was five. I had one. Now…I don’t. But, having that Harley in my garage was a bit like having a German Shepherd in a small apartment – such animals need open spaces, they need to get out and run. I know my bike is in a better place and that makes me feel better. [more]

I don't know how it is with your children, but I've noticed that my kids often behave in unpredictable Jekyll and Hyde ways when in public. One day they will be as good as can be, causing heads to turn, and strangers to comment in pleased tones about how well-behaved and sweet they are; then the next day heads turn in altogether different ways, and everyone gives you a wide berth, hoping against hope that whatever is wrong with YOUR kids that day won't rub off on theirs. [more]