During our Thanksgiving celebration, I wandered downstairs into my aunt’s basement and found the most amazing parenting guide. Children in the Family—A Psychological Guide for Parents was written by Florence Powdermaker and Louise Ireland Grimes. It was published in 1940 by Farrar & Rinehart, Inc. How many times have I walked around the room once [...]

[Read more →]

Last year at this time, we were doing this: This year at this time? Let’s just say that I’ve eaten my share of sweet potatoes and corn and cranberry salad and rolls and caramel pie, and am getting ready to head to the couch for a few hours before I hit the streets for Black [...]

[Read more →]

You guys, I feel like I’m being totally lazy with the NaBloPoMo thing. I promise to give you more actual STUFF next Month. I promise. Here is the breakdown of my day: I sent the kids to school this morning. At 9:15, I drove to school for a quick meeting. At 9:45, I drove to [...]

[Read more →]

On Friday, I sent Meredith to a birthday party wearing only a shirt and tights. (I didn’t realize her legwear wasn’t leggings until she sat down for dinner and I noticed that her “leggings” had a really strong seam up the back side, and that I could see her skin through them.) Party like a [...]

[Read more →]

As you know, I started running on September 7th. I used a Couch to 5K program, and as much as I hated it, I also sort of loved it. (Honesty: I loved when the little voice in my iPod told me that the workout was over. That felt good.) On Monday, September 19th, also known [...]

[Read more →]

The thing about the dogs is that although they’re ready for bed at 10:00 (and so am I), they tend to want to take a break from their crates sometime between 2:00 and 4:00 in the morning to go outside and do their business. More often than not, they will then return to their crates [...]

[Read more →]

This morning Meredith presented me with a class selection sheet from which she was supposed to choose three classes she is interested in taking during the second half of the school year. Here is the description of her first choice: It’s Your Thing: Are you more artist or engineer? – poet or scientist? – writer [...]

[Read more →]

Despite the fact that I felt all self-conscious about my lack of dress-up clothes, Jeff and I left the house early yesterday evening to see Ben Folds play with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. In case you’re wondering what I wore, I dressed pretty much like this: (Three differences: I was with Jeff—not the stiff [...]

[Read more →]

You know, when I’m in the mood that I’m in right now, I typically don’t log in and write at Fluid Pudding. BUT, here we are less than a week into NaBloPoMo, and I’m leaving the house in a few hours and won’t be back until super late, so now you get to see me [...]

[Read more →]

Monday night was not a good night. Scout woke us up at around three o’clock in the morning by throwing up all over the inside of her crate. Jeff took her outside for some fresh air, and I grabbed the paper towels and started cleaning up the mess. I hope you’re not eating right now. [...]

[Read more →]