While Malcolm and his friend Liam were at at sleepaway skateboarding camp, Hugh went off to a Presbyterian camp in Virginia for a few days. Chris, Ian and I had a peaceful week of no bickering and no Spongebob. The boys returned over the weekend and had many tales to share of their new acquaintances [...]
One day, I was driving a visiting friend and her daughters through rush-hour Philadelphia traffic. Chaotic jams and crazy drivers caused me to mutter under my breath and heave great sighs of frustration. This didn’t fool one of the little girls. In her posh English accent, she piped up and said, “You’re just like my [...]
My friend Sarah’s recent comment on mis-reading my children’s handwriting inspired today’s post. I’m glad she prompted me, because this topic is near and dear to my heart. Our subject: penmanship. Exhibit A: Handwriting samples from my great-grandmother (faded letter at back) and grandmother (foreground). My grandparents were on a big East Coast trip in [...]
Excuse me, fellow toddler, could I have some of your Cheerios? This was Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, 1998. Liam held the Cheerios as Malcolm approached hungrily. Despite living on opposite coasts, these two boys have seen a lot of each other, as our families make it a priority to vacation together almost every summer. Liam’s mom, [...]
My kids feel sorry for Madonna’s kids. They shudder to think how little Lola and Rocco and David must feel, seeing mommy prancing around in S&M gear. Or catching a glimpse of that tape showing Mum tongue-wrestling with Britney. Or finding some book their mom has written. Not the sweet little children’s books set in [...]
When was the last time you made a new friend? Children make shiny new friends all the time. Stranger Kid 1: Did you see Indiana Jones? Stranger Kid 2: Yeah – that was awesome. Do you have Super Mario Smash Bros? Stranger Kid 1: No, but I played it at my cousin’s house once and [...]
So I was telling Emily yesterday that the Martha’s Vineyard getaway was like time-traveling back to college, with all the best aspects of fun, giddy dorm life. Emily responded, “Like college, but without the tests.” If I were as quick as Emily, I would have responded, “And with much better food.” Penny’s mother, the truly [...]
Who: Four college friends – Penelope, Lindsay, Jennifer, Melissa (yes, those are our real names) What: A weekend away When: 1986 Where: Martha’s Vineyard Why: Why not? We were all young and unmarried, if not unattached. My boyfriend, for example, was spending the entire summer in Europe. A perfect chance for a girls’ getaway. Starting [...]
Continuing my mission to ruin teenage lives, I decided that Hugh should not see the R-rated movie “Wanted” over the weekend or ever, for that matter. Because 17-year-old Ian had already shown me the Russian trailer (even more explicit than the American one) on YouTube, I knew what this motion picture was about. Sexolence. Violex. [...]
I’m excited to announce that I learned a new skateboard trick. It involves getting 11-year-old Malcolm, avid skater/reluctant reader, to pick up the written word. My trick? Subscribing to Skateboard Magazine. Trust me, he’s more thrilled with it than he appears to be in this photo. Especially when Mag Swag is involved. Sick. Carrying on [...]
