Relax. There will not be anything expensive or trendy in this mix. No LeapPads or four-C-battery-operated blinking noisemakers, because Confession: When it comes to kids’ toys, I am hopelessly behind the times. When things run out of batteries in this house, I let them die. I threaten to give nothing but packs of batteries to […]
My favorite educational toys for children Read More »
I accidentally published tomorrow’s post while editing it today. Shari retires to the couch in horror, appalled at having inconvenienced her readers with two emails (no! no!! what twist of demon fates is this? three emails!) in one day. Ryan insists that she get over it. One large day of silence coming right up. ***** Confession: In
Herb & sausage stromboli Read More »
Or, Things I Ponder in the Darkness as I Wait For My Children to Sleep “Wait” seems to imply gentle and wholesome solitude, but I assure you it is anything but. It takes two adults to put our two youngest to sleep. We sing. We rub tummies. We massage backs. We hum. We pray. We
Plagiarism in triplicate Read More »
…because it begged to be written. But I must specify–this is an angry wife, specifically. Do not try it with your next irritable cashier or irate colleague. *** 1. Shut up. By all means. 2. Take a moment to ponder in silence a couple of very important questions: Is she a) miffed, or b) furious?
The Ten Best Ways to Comfort an Angry Woman Without Losing Your Hide Read More »
Marriage is a dance. A battlefield. A rock of refuge. A rollercoaster. Ryan says, a primary means of sanctification. I say, more than anything else a learning curve. I’ve been married nine years next month. “[Nine years] is too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits. I know less than half
When I was a teenager, I read in a nondescript article these words, “Here is some sage advice for you youth girls: Never assume a guy is interested unless he asks you.” I believe it was written by someone who’d gotten burned. And I took it to heart. That was a mistake. The philosophy protected
“Now, from the days when it was always summer in Eden, to these days when it is mostly winter in fallen latitudes, the world of a man has invariably gone one way… the way of the love of a woman.” (Charles Dickens) Confession: This is the most binding agreement my sons can produce. I don’t
A tale of two sillies Read More »
Confession: I would have had fun saying yes. But I said no. What an opportunity it would have been to enter another world, to learn and discover, to gain power and experience, to meet new people and ask hundreds of questions. But I said no. I would not have liked the immersion into human pain
Here is an update on my door project. I plan eventually to add the Bible verse, probably embroidered on a little pillow for the chair. But for right now… a hanging herb garden. The only real herbs I had available to transplant at the moment were oregano (hanging) and garlic chives (in the brown crock). Otherwise,
Confession: I hate wasting food, and though I do occasionally throw it away, I have also been known to put it to extremely—er, unorthodox use. I just discovered a neat use for leftover hotdog buns. And it’s not even weird. Slice the buns in half and arrange open-faced on a baking sheet. Brush with melted