Connor and his new best buddy, Dawson, were talking in the car this evening: Where do you go to school? I’m homeschooled. What is your school like? I don’t know about inside a school building because I go to school in my house. — Silence — I get to stay at home all day and…
Ryan ran into the bedroom this morning to inform us the radio had just announced that “All Fairfax County Public Schools and Cornerstone Schoolhouse are closed due to the snow!” Patrick informed Ryan that since Cornerstone Schoolhouse is located in our basement and requires only a short walk downstairs, where there is indeed no snow,…
Driving home from swimming lessons today, Connor announced he was starting a new collection. Now, in our family, this is by no means an outrageous announcement; we are a family of collectors. And so, without much thought, I asked, “What kind of collection?”“A pet collection, Mommy!,” came the excited answer. “Connor,” I said, “You already…
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,…
Connor, Future Olympian! With Ryan in New Jersey at Grandma’s for K*nex and Lego camps, Connor has been enjoying a few of his own privileges here at home. He has taken to staying up past his regular bedtime to watch the Olympics with Dad. Each night, Connor falls in love with another sport! He has…
Tonight at dinner, Patrick and I were playing 20 Questions with the boys. It was my turn to answer questions posited by Patrick and the boys as they tried to guess what was on my mind: Dick Dastardly (the villain from the Wacky Races cartoons; a favorite of a young Patrick and now of the…
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…
Connor’s speech teacher has been working with him on nursery rhymes. So far, he has mastered the following: Big Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet… Jack be nimble,Jack be quick,Jack jump over a train. and Mary had a little lamb… whose fleece was white as snow.It followed her to soccer practice one day… and then,…
Connor, dressing the part. The Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus presented a spectacular show this evening. Clowns, acrobats, daredevils, and animals big and small thrilled the audience with music and stunts, but the little guy in the seat next to me stole the show with his complete belief that all he saw was real,…
Four hours into our five-and-a-half-hour drive to New Jersey, amidst much commotion, complaints of “he’s on my side” and “Leya’s stepping on the crackers,” and threats of turning the car around, Connor says, “Mommy, I sooo happy!” Having no idea what this could be in reference to, I asked what made him so happy, to…