Signs of weirdness

Last weekend it snowed non-stop, and I took advantage of being stuck at home to bake a few loaves of focaccia bread. M absolutely loves the stuff, so I cut one piece and put it in a baggie so he could bring it as part of his lunch on Monday. That evening, I [...]

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He sees you when you’re sleeping

He knows when you’re awake,
He knows if you’ve been bad or good,
He’s the cat above your cage!

Luckily the hamsters are not at all perturbed by the large hairy beast who we finally caught lurking over their heads.
And see the little white paper next to the cat? That’s the Christmas card E gave to M. [...]

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Making it into *our* house, part 7

New! Improved! The master bathroom no longer has mold all over the ceiling. The walls are no longer painfully stark white. The shower no longer leaks so much that mushrooms grow in the corner of the next room. The faucet no longer spews corroded black goo from its base whenever [...]

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Holiday gift wrapping tip

Despite all the articles I’ve seen with tips on how to have a creative frugal Christmas, by far the best idea I’ve heard came from a neighbor at last night’s neighborhood holiday party. This neighbor had bought or made 11 of some frugal gift, to give to each of the siblings in her large [...]

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Guess who’s gone wireless now?

S here. No, I haven’t joined E in the land of Blackberry users. This is even better. After 12 years of using my faithful little putt-putt Thelma* (on left), and coping with many tangles and snarls in the extension cord, and never quite being able to reach the mailbox, and Thelma now [...]

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Signs of winter

I love the fact that M is old enough to shovel the entire front walk and porch, by himself, without whining, even when it’s 2 inches of crusty icy snow. I love the fact that he hangs up his snowy wet clothes to dry without me needing to ask. And I find it [...]

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First aid practice

For tonight’s Scout meeting, M was supposed to practice some of the first-aid skills he’ll be tested on. We’ve determined that he could indeed help me hobble along for 25 yards if I had a sprained ankle. However, if I pass out on the floor of a smoke-filled room and need to be [...]

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The invisible parent

S here, and it’s official: I have started to become an invisible parent.
Last week I went to the middle school to pick M and the neighbor kid up from after-school math club. The teacher (who’s also the assistant principal) was out in the hallway, and as I waited for M to come out of [...]

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Be prepared

M is off selling Christmas trees at his Scout troop fundraiser tonight. We remembered to have him wear long johns and bring gloves so he’d stay warm. We remembered to tuck a granola bar in his pocket in case he gets hungry. We forgot to have him bring a pocketknife for cutting [...]

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