Parenting
In Praise of the Pencil
A few weeks back, Monkey came home in a tizzy. “I’m out of pencils again,” he announced. Nonplussed, I told him there were under three weeks of school left and that I was pretty sure he could make-do with his nubs until June 20. He started at me with contempt. “Are you serious?” he questioned. “I have exams! I need pencils! Ticonderogas. Now!”…
Posts That Shimmy & Shake: Paul Johnson & Leanne Shirtliffe
I have two favorite posts that you simply must read this weekend if you missed them the first time around….
The Giver: Is It A Happy Ending?
My son finished reading The Giver in his sixth grade English class many months ago, and I forgot to post the follow-up to his reading. Here it is now. Better late than never, no?…
Lessons From Annual Daffodil Day
For the last ten years, my friend and I have taken our sons to the local Daffodil Park on May 1st. I don’t know how it happened, but I missed it this year. Daffodil Day? Not. Even. On. The. Radar….
Guest Post by Eric Rumsey: A Wanna-Be Teacher Bubbles From The Back-Burner
Today’s guest post is by Eric Rumsey from the blog I Swear We’re Not Crazy. Some of you may know of him…
Friday Quick Question: Should We Pet Dead Squeyls?
The other day I saw a sign that read: “Free Babies Clinic.” Which I thought was weird. It was a warm day, and I imagined folks handing out babies like ice cream cones. What exactly is going on? I wondered. But as I got closer, I saw that the sign was actually advertising a “Free Rabies Clinic,” which made me wonder: Are we giving people rabies these days? And who would want that? Even for free?…
Stupid Stuff Kids Do – Lord Love 'Em
Every once in a while, Monkey will do something that really makes me mad. He’ll tap things, even though he knows I can’t stand repetitive tapping. Or he’ll leave his cup sitting on the kitchen counter. (And, no, I don’t mean the cup you drink out of.) But this takes the cake….
Things I Won't Be Hearing On Mother's Day
Hubby is not the best facilitator when it comes to Mother’s Day. This is because he generally golfs on Sundays. And since Hubby is out playing with his wood, there is generally no one to oversee the “special last minute Mother’s Day present making” in our house, and I’m not about to pull out the markers and demand, “Make me something to show me how much you love me!” Let’s just say I have pretty low expectations for Sunday….
How The Struggle To Survive Spring Break Was A Lot Like The Jews' Exodus From Egypt
This year, Spring Break fell on the same week as Passover – the Jewish holiday which commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. (Think Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments.) This year there seemed to be so many similarities between Monkey’s heinous April “staycation” in Western, New York and the oft-repeated, seemingly never-ending Passover story that I simply could not ignore it….
Well, We Almost Made It Through Without Incident
On the last afternoon of my son’s spring vacation, right when his annoyance at me had reached its apex and his blood sugar had bottomed out, I suggested that it might be a good time for him to get a jump start on his next book report. The one that isn’t due until mid- May.
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