Month: September 2018

Last weekend, I painted a mural in the rain – and it was awesome. That’s how I tell the story, at least. There are those who might say that I tried to paint a mural but it rained and ruined everything, but I think my version is much better. I’m a pretty serious optimist. I… Continue reading The Beauty of Positive Thinking

I had an unwelcome houseguest last week. First name: Murphy. Last name: Law. My co-parent was out of town on a business trip, placing me in full-time parent mode for the week. This meant – of course – that my stupid intermittent lower back problems would rear their stupid heads and be stupid. Because Murphy’s… Continue reading Murphy’s Law and Pickles for Dinner

There are two kinds of superheroes in the world. There are the ones who wear spandex and throw shields at people, and there are the ones who are willing to play seventy-two rounds of Mad Libs with a nine-year-old on a rainy afternoon. Last weekend, our lives were enriched by both kinds of legendary beings.… Continue reading The Many Varieties of Superheroes

It may be 90 degrees out, but Labor Day still feels like the start of fall to me. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the Midwest where fall arrived a bit sooner, and school started a bit later, so that when you tromped off for the first day, you might very well be sporting… Continue reading End of Season Rituals

I’m pretty sure that 85% of parenting is trying to answer the question: “how much crazy is too much crazy?” My son came back from a craft festival with a rough-hewn wooden mallet, a gift from a wood-worker who was demonstrating how to carve things. It was basically just a hunk of wood, one end… Continue reading How Much Crazy Is Too Much Crazy?