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March 13, 2008
Travel truths, Part II, Professor Mom
Travel truths, Part II, Professor Mom
The kids and I survived our train trip to Maryland—no potty accidents, no sick kids, no fussing, no major mishaps at all. In the past I usually over-pack in terms of entertainment for the kids and most of what I bring doesn’t even make it out of our carry-on bag. This time I around I packed sparsely: just a few stickers and paper, some play-doh, a Ziploc bag of Legos for L., and two Beverly Cleary chapter books—the kids have moved on from Ramona now to tales of Henry Huggins and his scrappy mutt Ribsy. [more]
March 12, 2008
Travel truths, Professor Mom
Travel truths, Professor Mom
In a couple of hours the kids and I will be boarding a train and taking off on a 6 1/2 hour trip to visit my parents in Maryland. My husband, alas, has to stay home, since his spring break was last week (in all the years we've been doing this tag-teaming parenting thing we have never managed to get coinciding spring breaks). I'll be making the trip solo--just me and the kids, that is.
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March 11, 2008
Where there's smoke..., Skadaddle
Where there's smoke..., Skadaddle
Before anybody confuses me with some kind of activist – I’m not. I tend to think people have the right to do whatever they want to themselves. Pro athletes wanna take steroids? Go right ahead. You wanna cover yourself in ink? Have at it. You love smoking? Puff away. That doesn’t mean I understand these things.
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March 11, 2008
Progress does happen, Professor Mom
Progress does happen, Professor Mom
My seven-year old son needs glasses. I took him to the eye doctor yesterday, finally making it to an appointment that had already been rescheduled TWICE because of various conflicts. I almost rescheduled again yesterday. L. is home on spring break and digging his heels in about leaving the house to do even fun things, so a trip to the optometrist was not high on his list of preferred activities yesterday. He complained and grouched his way out of the house yesterday with T. chattering happily from the back seat about the trip. Unlike her brother, T. loves outings. [more]
March 10, 2008
Hello, golf course my old friend, Skadaddle
Hello, golf course my old friend, Skadaddle
(With apologies to Simon & Garfunkel)
Hello golf course, my old friend
I’ve come to play on you again
Take out my driver and my irons too
I’ve got a long putt that I’ll make in two
And the vision of the ball dropping in the
Drain
Still remains
This is the joy of golfing [more]
March 10, 2008
Saved by the clock, Professor Mom
Saved by the clock, Professor Mom
A lot of people complain about Daylight Savings time; a lot of parents complain about it. I have never minded it so much. I don't mind setting the clocks back in the fall and feeling the anticipation of the winter holidays, and I certainly don't mind setting the clocks forward and having the extra daylight, especially since I always feel as if there are never enough hours during the day to get things done anyway. And although I was terrified that very first Daylight Savings time when our son was only a few months old (what will it do to his schedule? [more]
March 7, 2008
It's the bomb, Skadaddle
It's the bomb, Skadaddle
Contrary to perhaps both popular opinion and damning evidence, I’m not really much of a drinker. Yes, I like to have my glass of wine or a beer now and again, but I’m not the guy that goes home every night and pours himself a drink. Hell, I don’t even necessarily have any alcohol if I go out to dinner with friends. But every once in a while, I truly need to get my drink on.
Last night was “every once in a while.” [more]
March 7, 2008
Those Lundbys, Professor Mom
Those Lundbys, Professor Mom
My sister and I used to have a Lundby dollhouse, acquired sometime deep in the 1970s. We loved it and played with it constantly. I still remember the voyeuristic thrill of peering through the doll house windows at the Lundby family as they moved from kitchen to dining room, or upstairs, enacting poses and scenarios my sister and I had carefully planned out. Anyway, the dollhouse didn't survive the years, but on Ebay last summer, driven by a sudden fit of nostalgia, I bought another replacement Lundby doll house roughly from the same [more]
March 6, 2008
Apology not accepted, Skadaddle
Apology not accepted, Skadaddle
At two-and-a-half, K-Man is already too politically correct.
He’ll bump his knee, stub his toe, or ask for help to get his ladder (or any other toy) and he’ll apologize. “I hurt my knee. I’m sorry, Daddy.” Frankly, I find this a bit heartbreaking. I mean I’m a reasonably patient person (when it comes to the parenting thing, that is) and I certainly don’t make him apologize all the time (perhaps only when he was in that awful hitting phase). So, when he apologizes for things that don’t require it – I almost feel like he’s afraid of my reaction. [more]
March 6, 2008
The games kids play(ed), Professor Mom
The games kids play(ed), Professor Mom
I had lunch at L.'s school the other day. Actually, I ate at my office and then went to his school--I wouldn't dream of bringing my lunch into the cafeteria--eating there is way too stomach-turning an experience. It was chicken nugget day and vegetable soup for the kids buying lunch. Chicken nuggets and chocolate pudding for dessert. During lunch I looked up for a moment (this is always a mistake) and saw the boy a few seats down from L. dipping his nuggets into his chocolate pudding. [more]
