We’ve kind of plateaued in Jack’s half marathon training. And by ‘plateaued,’ I mean stopped in our tracks. You knew this was going to happen, right? Fourteen year old says: “I want to run a half marathon,” he doesn’t mean: I want to run for weeks and months for what seems to be no particular reason. […]
DIY or Don’t You Dare
A few weeks ago, Mike and I were shopping for an office desk. Actually, what we wanted wasn’t a desk, per se, but more of a cocktail table, for standing at the computer (with or without said cocktail), with room underneath for storage. We found one at a consignment shop. It was a shade darker than […]
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Cereal and other “First World” grievances
There’s no getting around it. There has been a distinct change in tone around here over the last couple of years. It was bound to happen. Little people get big, and find out the truth: The Tooth Fairy and Santa are myths Mom ceases to be helpful with math along about fifth grade No matter […]
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El jefe de la salsa
How I, sort of, finally made Argentine chimichurri. And Emeril wasn’t involved. Nine years ago I took off to gallivant around Buenos Aires, Argentina, leaving my husband home with our two very young boys The trip marked a turning point in my life – and it had nothing to do with testing Mike’s chops to care for a […]
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About this place
This Easter, like every other year, we packed up all the booty, the dog and a bunch of food we’d regret taking because there would already be too much, and headed out to Mike’s parents’ place. In good weather, it’s a forty-five minute drive on a rural highway notorious for aggressive drivers. The highway runs […]
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Toddlers versus teens: Not a clear winner here
I was at a meeting recently with a couple of other parents, making small talk about our kids. One woman had younger children. Preschool, maybe. Just emerging from mommy-and-me-gymnastics stage and entering into the “Let’s see what kind of activity keeps you most interested but doesn’t cost me an arm and a leg” phase.
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A little career counseling
Jack and I have had long conversations lately about potential careers. I remember the feeling I had at his age: like the whole world was a bunch of wrapped gifts on display, and I was waiting for Christmas. Anything could be in those pretty boxes under the tree. Except a horse. Not one of those […]
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Smells like mom spirit
Today Kurt Cobain will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 20 years and a couple of days after he took his own life at age 27. At the time, Nirvana’s music was only hovering somewhere on the edge of my perception. I’m not much into music, save for the stuff I […]
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My 100 Mile March
There’s a reason I didn’t raise my hand right away when our meeting leader asked if anyone had any fitness milestones they met that month. I didn’t want to be a jackass. In fact, I ran a total of 100 miles last month. Mostly ran. Really slowly. A little of it was walking. But it […]
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Of conversation caché and tin foil pajamas
The benefits of a stint in community radio The waning years of my pre-kid life were spent fundraising for a professional outdoor repertory theater. The job came with a tiny salary even for a nonprofit. There was no sick leave, vacation, or benefits. We worked regular hours, plus evenings and weekends all summer. We used […]
