I was going through the school papers the other night and came across a drawing of a girl mounted on an oversized stick, like a puppet. It was very good, so I was surprised to turn it over and find Camille’s name on the back.
“Sweetie, did you do this?” I asked.
“Yep,” she said.
“Honey, that’s really [...]
We went to Fayetteville over the weekend for my friend Cindy’s 50th birthday. It would have been a great occasion under any circumstances, but it was all the more so because we almost lost her last summer.
What could I get her for such a momentous birthday? No matter what I looked at, it was just [...]
It’s time to go on the record. I’m applying to graduate school.
There, I’ve said it.
Herb and I started talking about this as he was finishing up his MBA at Elon. I gravitated to the Communications program at UNCG, where the courses have wonderful parallels to the world I work in every day — newspapers. [...]
Herb and I watched “American Idol” best and worst auditions tonight.
And like most people, we watch it as much to see the bad ones as the good ones.
They always let the bad ones go on long enough to make us channel Gollum…”It burns! It burns the precious!”
It was another outbreak of “not me” syndrome when Camille reported that “someone” had failed to flush the toilet. Herb’s solution? They both do push-ups until someone confesses. It didn’t take long.
“It was me. I forgot,” said Camille.
Abby was freed from push-ups, but Camille, who had committed the offense and then tried to rat [...]
When it came time for Abby to do her science project, we knew we had to do something related to our owl family. We settled on the question: can humans talk to owls?
We thought we knew the answer after a spring and summer of making calls and getting answers. But when it came time [...]
We were driving home tonight after dark, enjoying all the houses decked out in lights, with inflatable snowmen and lighted reindeer.
“Wow!” I said. “Look at these houses.”
“It’s not how much you decorate,” Abby said sagely. “It’s whether you’ve been nice. It’s about what you do.”
We took the kids to see the Greensboro Ballet production of “The Nutcracker” last night. It was the third time for Abby and me, the first time for Camille and Herb. Though it began at what is roughly her normal bedtime, Camille hung in there, raptly attentive, for most of the show.
When she did [...]
This conversation between two 5-year-old girls:
‘Hey, my sister threw up on her ribbon. Wanna see?”
“Yeah!”
It was pretty much the highlight of the evening.
After almost two full months of doing karate on the sidelines, Camille overcame her fear today and got back on the mat. She stayed there for the whole class, she tried everything — including the running kicks — and even sparred with Sensei.
It was the first time she got on the mat for more [...]
This one came to me in a burst of inspiration in the middle of the workday. Think back to My Fair Lady, and the song, “Get Me to the Church on Time.”
I’m going shopping in the morning
Cha-ching the registers will chime!
I’ll wield the plastic
‘Till Herb goes spastic.
For God’s sake get me to the mall on [...]
As promised, the shopping haiku. I couldn’t decide which one I liked best, so here’s both of them.
While others work
We sip margaritas in the mall
Bags at our feet
Packages piled round my feet
While muzak plays and drinks arrive
I am fulfilled
Are you picking up on a theme?
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