I almost swallowed it, Mom!

Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is a Thanksgiving morning tradition in our home. This year’s parade provided more than colorful floats, melodic bands, and giant balloons, it provided comic relief: During a commercial break, Patrick and the kids were telling me about the Smurf float in the parade. Now as a child of the 80s,…
This morning I made an off-handed comment to Patrick that the skirt and top I had chosen to wear to church looked better on me last year. Ryan was standing nearby and chimed in with his usual, “Why?” Not wanting to get into a discussion of body image with my 7-year-old son, I replied, “They…
Several months ago, we were introduced to the book Flat Stanley through a local homeschool co-op. In the book, Stanley goes to bed one evening a normal boy and wakes up in the morning only 1/2″ thick, flattened as the result of an accident with a bulletin board hung over his bed. Stanley decides to…
Webkinz? A few of the birthday pets: Fifi, Lovey, Cupcake, Chrissy, Furry, Patrick Frog & Leap.Not pictured: Tai Shan, Raisin, Otisand Connor, who just couldn’t stay awake, not even for ice cream cake! Ryan, Connor, and their cousin Sarah love their Webkinz! Webkinz are good friends: they play board games with Ryan when everyone else…
Today while on our Volksmarch, we stopped in several fun stores in Old Town Alexandria, including a candy story that sold 18 inch long gummy snakes (Mom said no, but Dad said yes) and an Irish wares store. Connor and I quickly exited the Irish shop. It was small and crowded, and I had visions…
This afternoon, between a morning at the pool and a promised evening family video time, the boys and I dashed off to our neighborhood grocery store to pick up a few staples for the week and some treats to pack for an all-day adventure tomorrow. Inside the store, where every other child, including Connor, was…