My youngest daughter’s birthday party was the first family social event to fall victim to the COVID-19 pandemic. A hundred years ago (way back in mid-March), she was scheduled to have an indoor pool party with her besties. Two days before the scheduled event, the KY schools shut down. We nixed the pool but met… Continue reading Birthdays Ala COVID
Campfire Dreams
Over fall break, I cooked dinner over a fire of my own creation. I am officially ready for the zombie apocalypse – as long as the zombie apocalypse includes hot dogs and lighter fluid. It will, right? As you may have surmised from previous missives, I am not exactly an Eagle Scout when it comes… Continue reading Campfire Dreams
When Mediocre Plans Go Badly
It was probably inevitable that my crazy dog would learn to climb the fence in the backyard. After all, Buddy Baudelaire had shown remarkable proficiency at tree-climbing, somehow managing to scrabble his way to a truly ridiculous height in a tree at the park. What chance did a puny four-foot chain link fence stand against… Continue reading When Mediocre Plans Go Badly
Turning Down the Background Noise
Sometimes you don’t notice a sound until it stops. Then, in the sudden quiet, you realize just how loud it had been – and how much the undercurrent had been getting under you skin. I’m not a fan of background noise. My brain gets overloaded by superfluous auditory input. I don’t like having music on… Continue reading Turning Down the Background Noise
First Impressions of Virtual Schooling
It has taken me a couple weeks to put together some initial thoughts about virtual schooling. When I write, I try to be both positive and authentic. The Venn Diagram of those aspirations has yielded exactly nothing since the start of the school year. The best I can say is that we’re surviving. We have… Continue reading First Impressions of Virtual Schooling
Civics Lessons
The kids and I are obsessed with Hamilton. Yes, I know we’re about five years late to the phenomenon. Don’t judge me, just be glad that we’ve finally showed up to the party. My kids have watched the stage recording more times than I have and my eleven-year-old demonstrates a staggering, and at times uncomfortable,… Continue reading Civics Lessons
Quarantine Trampolines and Other Lapses in Judgement
Captain’s Log: quarantine month five, day four. I appear to have lapsed into a fugue state sometime in the past several weeks and lost the capacity for rational thought. This is the only explanation I can think of for why a trampoline was delivered to our house today. It came with a sprinkler attachment. Pray… Continue reading Quarantine Trampolines and Other Lapses in Judgement
The Best 30 Minutes of the Day
Over the past five months, I have spent more time with my kids than usual. This has not entirely been by choice. As we found ourselves unexpectedly schooling from home, working from home, and generally being stuck at home, our rhythms and routines naturally shifted. We stayed up later, watched movies after dinner, occasionally watched… Continue reading The Best 30 Minutes of the Day
Reflections on the Year of the Dog
Just over a year ago we added a dog to our family. Buddy Baudelaire is a two-year-old boxer/lab mix. Maybe. No part of that is certain because he’s a shelter rescue. Whatever his age and genealogy, he’s black and white, very energetic, extremely loving, and stronger than a fully-grown brontosaurus. As we celebrated Buddy’s “gotcha… Continue reading Reflections on the Year of the Dog
We’re Still Just Us – Even On Vacation
My kids and I took a mini-vacation last week. Several days before our departure for a small cabin rental in Tennessee, it occurred to me that this would be our first overnight adventure with just the four of us. In the four years since the divorce, my revised nuclear family had never taken a solo… Continue reading We’re Still Just Us – Even On Vacation