• Family

    Father’s Day

    June 19, 2017 - By 

    A few days ago, my son asked me: “Mom, is it almost the day that we love daddy?”  (pause)  “You know, like Mother’s Day for dads?” “Well yes it is almost that day,” I explained to him, “and we call it Father’s Day.” The day was simple, but wonderful:  bacon and coffee, kid giggles, a bike ride, lunch and soft serve ice cream, naps, and finally, fishing on the dock.  We even caught a fish with our fancy and sophisticated fishing pole: Oh, and something more amazing?  After seeing the fish caught, filleted, and cooked, (getting a brief lesson in…

  • Family

    Strawberry Fields

    June 14, 2017 - By 

    The weather was beautiful (if a little windy) and it is strawberry season around here, so I took the boys to go pick strawberries. Well, I took Aiden to go pick strawberries.  Apparently, I took Connor to teach him not to pick the green ones. Aiden already knew not to pick the green ones because of a discussion we had about my tomato plant last week.  I had scolded them for picking the ripe tomatoes before we were ready to eat them.  (This is mostly because they use them as small flying objects, rather than food).  So when I saw…

  • Family - Fun - RemoteDance

    Party Like a College Kid

    December 27, 2009 - By 

    After Christmas in Iowa, it was time for the annual (although a first for Chris and I) Ugly Christmas Sweaters and Edward 40Hands Party. Here is how you play. Find a safe venue with plenty of blankets and pillows so that no one has to drive home after the party. Invite all your friends. Make sure they know that if they participate in the game they will be staying the night. Beg, buy, or borrow an overly-festive sweater.  Purchase two 40-oz beers for yourself and any other players with whom you are supplying beverages. Ignore the strange looks from the…

  • Family - RemoteDance

    In Which we are not Smarter than a Coffeepot

    December 23, 2009 - By 

    On Sunday, we flew to Manhattan (Kansas) to spend some time with my parents, brother, and his family. This is Chris’s first visit to the city where I grew up, so I have big plans to show him all the sights. We saw the mall, downtown (all 4 blocks of it) and some of the new developments (there’s now a Bed Bath and Beyond and a Best Buy). But mostly, we have been hanging out with family and relaxing. Apparently my brother’s coffee pot has “intelligent design.”  I say this not because it is a special super-fancy coffee pot with…