There aren’t many occasions where you find yourself spending the evening with a plastic goblet in your pocket — and your pocket is in the slacks of the suit you’re wearing. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. The plastic goblet was grabbed early in the evening of my daughter’s Princess Ball, … More Pink goblets, Princesses and beautiful ringlets: A time to remember
It’s a good thing I don’t get paid for writing this blog, because I’d be making about as much as I am right now on extended unemployment benefits. Ta-dum-dum. That was supposed to be funny. Humorous. Amusing. Anyway, I’ve written two columns over the past 6 or so weeks and really didn’t like either of … More Jimmy Stewart meets Josie Wales: Gratitude from the depths of our souls
Creak. Thunk. Creak. Thunk. Hear that? It’s the sound of the bandwagon lumbering by, pausing just long enough for me to vault myself over the backboard. I never wore I wouldn’t write about the anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s murder, I was only hoping I wouldn’t need to fall back on it, sprawled across my … More JFK? My generation’s sorrow was 1968, tucked between 1963 and 9/11
“I learned about compassion today,” the 6-year-old said rather matter-of-factly as we walked home from the bus stop. That stirred my curiosity. Not a word that generally comes up in 1st Grade. Perhaps they’re really moving ahead in language and usage, I thought. Just another reason I love our charter school. “How did you learn … More The source of pain and new vocabulary: Getting older or just plain clumsy?
“I was singing to the deer.” She had stayed in place on the trail and now stood about 50 feet behind us, where we had first spotted the pair of white-tail deer in the nearby woods. She stood still while her mother and I hiked a bit further up the trail. We turned to watch … More Through her family’s tears, a 6-year-old touches death
Where does the time go? … She went back to school this week, to first grade. She’s crossed over into the time zone that marks the beginning of my own significant memories. Certain deep impressions of first grade left lasting creases in my brain. Will she look back in 50 years and know this feeling? At face … More Recipe for making sweet memories: You provide the ingredients
Our daughter, at age 6, is a party planner extraordinaire. She doesn’t need a special occasion — she’ll decide what the party will be about, describe what she’s doing to prepare for it, and give her orders (er, directions) for what she expects from her parents. That’s why there’s a disco ball hanging from the ceiling in … More Holy Birthdays, Batman! Caped Crusader never grows old
Happy Birthday, Jerry. One of the true joys I’ve experienced is sharing the music of the Grateful Dead with my now-6-year-old. She loves to dress up when we go to shows and dance with her Daddy. We even have a favorite passage to sing together: Sometimes the light’s all shining on me Other times I … More Jerry: The Music Never Stops
Summer camp was once something more like a luxury, when stay-at-home Moms ruled the roost and there was less need to keep the kids safely occupied. In today’s two-wage-earner families, though, summer camp is often a necessity. It’s the only way a lot of kids can maintain any sort of social contact with their peers … More Summer, summer camp, and a trail of kid’s clothing
Kindergarten graduation. Complete with mortar boards and diplomas. Audience packed with parents, grandparents and friends. What’s more, shout-outs for certain students when their name is called to be awarded the kindergarten completion certificate. (Squeezing my voice into its best Walter Brennan-like drawl:) “In my day, we didn’t have kindergarten gradge-ee-ations. When you said somebody gradge-ee-ated you … More Farewell to kindergarten; ‘We’ll always have recess’
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