• Family

    Billy and Winston

    July 30, 2020 - By 

    We’ve got two Robot vacuums, and we have named them Billy and Winston. Winston works downstairs, while Billy has the main level. Poor Billy really has his work cut out for him: between the cat toys and the LEGO, we’ve had to replace his brushes many, many times. Want to know who wins in a battle between a Roomba and a LEGO? Not the Roomba. They have an app, which gives us notifications like, “Billy is stuck,” “Winston’s bin is full,” or “Billy has successfully completed a job.” But they do a pretty good job, despite their obstacles and the…

  • Family - Fun

    Treehouse

    July 25, 2020 - By 

    The boys are getting a treehouse, and since the goats did some of the preliminary work, now we’ve got to finish clearing a nice spot for their treehouse. So we spent a good portion of the weekend after the goats were gone cleaning up: trimming tree branches, moving logs, picking up sticks, and raking the ground. That following week, the tree house got built. I’m not too old to hang out in a treehouse, right?!

  • Family - Parenting

    Childhood

    July 15, 2020 - By 

    One summer when I was fourteen, I decided I wanted to stretch out my school break indefinitely. Make it feel as endless as possible. And I did, actually, succeed. Bike rides, tree-climbing, and nature hikes. Books, board games, ice cream, campfires, swimming, and beaches. Even though there wasn’t actually more time in my summer, I tried to savor every moment, and it felt longer. It was glorious. I have never quite re-created the magic of that one summer, yet it sticks with me to this day. It’s what I want for my children. The truth is it feels like a…

  • Family - Farming

    Goat Rental

    July 7, 2020 - By 

    We have quite a bit of Poison Ivy in our backyard tree grove. I am highly allergic. This makes me not want to hang out in our beautiful creek area. But when you have it carpeting the ground like grass, taking over small bushes, and winding its way up trees in arm-sized vines, the task of getting rid of it seems daunting. Where would one even start in eradicating this invasive vine? As it turns out, the answer is: This year I learned that you can rent goats. In case you’re curious, goat rental is priced by the acre, and…

  • Food - Marriage

    Adulting

    May 28, 2020 - By 

    I love grocery shopping. It’s my happy place. I like planning the meals and making the list and then just wandering down the aisles putting things in my cart. I like listening to the music and muttering to myself over which avocado is the ripest. I even liked grocery shopping with the kids, for a while. Until we reached one of those Milestones Nobody Talks About: when they were old enough that nobody wanted to ride in the cart anymore and they spent the entire time running around like feral animals and touching all the things. Or, this. So let…

  • Family

    Muted

    May 6, 2020 - By 

    Day 51. This quarantine has been, more than ever, a time of high highs and low lows. While I recognize the immense privilege that enables me to stay sheltered at home, that does not make it any less isolating. That does not mean my longing to return to normalcy is diminished. I can recognize both the beauty that has come – quality time spent with my family; and the hardship – the isolation, the fear of what the future might bring, what it might look like. The joy of slowing down, the fear of the ultimate slowdown. And on a…

  • Family

    Empty April

    April 28, 2020 - By 

    So. This was my April. The emptiest April in memory. Connor’s big Chuck-E-Cheese birthday is cancelled. In fact, the entire Chuck-E-Cheese franchise is closed, indefinitely. No public Easter Egg hunts no spring craft fairs no silly April Fools with friends. No school. OMG YOU GUYS NO TAXES. Okay, there’s still taxes. But they’re deferred until July. THEY NEVER LET YOUR TAXES BE LATE AND NOW YOUR TAXES CAN BE LATE THIS IS HOW YOU KNOW. How you know it’s a big deal. BUT YOU GUYS. BUT. As much as this month was scary and weird and isolating… it was also…

  • Family - Marriage - Parenting

    An Incomplete List and a Complete Mess

    April 23, 2020 - By 

    Things I have done during the Stay-Home order: Lost a full gallon of milk and found it in the linen closet, two days later Worn my pants on inside out all day before I realized it Cried for no reason Cried for very good reasons Laughed hysterically with my boys Spent too much time on Facebook Made bread Made cookies Been mad at the scale Ordered groceries online As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how much I love grocery shopping. I’m also very picky about my groceries and like lots of obscure foodstuffs and bring all my reusable bags so…

  • Family - Parenting

    The Cup Half-Full

    March 27, 2020 - By 

    Today’s homeschool lesson was: how to fill each other’s cups. Also known as “Why mom has always lost her marbles by the end of the day.” I put together a little practical demonstration for the boys. I placed a jar of marbles on the table. Surrounding it, some empty cupcake liners. I explained that the glass jar of marbles represented me: both my physical and emotional energy throughout the day. I then gave them a run-through of what I do, and had the boys select marbles from the jar and place them in the corresponding cupcake liners each time a…