Meredith came home from school on Monday and decided that she wanted to show me how to draw a giraffe. She sat on the kitchen floor with a piece of paper and a Crayola paintbrush and created Mabel. (I love Mabel.) Later that evening, we went to the library to see Sara Pennypacker and Marla [...]

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On Friday evening the temperature dropped and the four of us found ourselves sitting around in the family room with the windows open and the television off. Perfect night. Then, all of a sudden: “I SAID HELLO, MARY LOU! GOODBYE HEART! SWEET MARY LOU I’M SO IN LOVE WITH YOU!!!” Jeff: Girls, do you hear [...]

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Just so you know, if you knock on my door and then start screaming all meth-addict-like about how you need a few bucks to paint neon numbers on my sidewalk? You’re not going to get a couple bucks. AND, when you start getting all stink-eyed and suddenly you’re yelling about how neon numbers will help [...]

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As I pulled up the Add New Post screen, my milkman delivered the goods, meaning my refrigerator now contains fresh milk, along with hummus, pesto, Schlafly Pumpkin Ale, kosher baby dills, a sourdough bread starter, leftover spaghetti and meatballs, and a ton of condiments. Today is Respect for the Aged Day in Japan, so I’m [...]

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Observation: Yesterday I made a pot of pasta fagioli, but I added soy crumbles instead of ground beef. Within thirty minutes of eating it, I found myself at the school’s Curriculum Night actually socializing with people I had never met. Stranger yet: I wasn’t even wearing my Cocksure Shoes. Hypothesis: Soy somehow numbs my amygdala, [...]

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So, I’m thinking this year’s Christmas gifts for teachers will consist of a 16 oz. coffee cup filled with a gift card and surrounded with an owl cozy. Either that or mittens. It’s a tough decision. Cozies are quicker. Mittens are more useful. Both are equally warm and woolly. My segues lack novelty: Speaking of [...]

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Last night I went to a taco slash cupcake gathering and it was just as amazing and fun as it sounds, and when I returned home I found this picture (created on the computer by Harper) sitting on top of my knitting. As if I wasn’t feeling warm and fuzzy enough, this put me right [...]

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This morning I went into the girls’ bathroom and found this on the tub. (I have given the girls permission to throw all Barbies into the bathtub, which means I can throw them all away in a few months when their hair starts to get nasty.) Apparently, this particular Barbie is making the most of [...]

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School started three weeks ago, and because I’m scared to death of having nothing to do, I’ve somehow managed to fill my calendar with arrows and freelance assignments and out-of-character plans like “September 7 – PTO meeting”. While I have your attention, let’s get something straight. Although I live in the United States, where periods [...]

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