These were my son's exact words as I tried to convince him that he would love the book I was going to read him. He refused to believe that MY choice of reading could possibly be something he would enjoy, particularly since it didn't contain pictures. He fussed and fidgited (however you spell that), his voice escalating with each protest. He grew so loud and impertinent that his father entered the picture. Joel promptly swept him into the other room and sternly informed him that he was NEVER ...

It's been a rough week. Christmas was wonderful... don't get me wrong... but it seems like it was months ago now. On Wednesday, hubby and I took our beloved weimeraner (Woody) down to the vet's and stayed with him while they put him to sleep. It was heartbreaking, particularly for Joel, but the vet was SO reassuring... kept telling us she was very glad we had made this decision and that we were definitely doing the right thing. That was a help. It about tore my heart out... I was sad abo...

Driving to my friend's yarn shop the other day, I was having a conversation with my son (age 5) about his bathtime. He decided that he wanted to take a shower, but with only water -- no soap. I explained that he HAS to use soap, because it's the soap that gets him clean. We moved on to some other equally interesting topic and I didn't think another thing about it. We got to my friend's shop and visited for a while, and then Noah excused himself to use the restroom. He was in there much lon...

Biologically, any man can be a father, but it takes a man of strong character with an abundance of love to be a Dad. I am blessed to have such a man as an integral part of my life. My father, and all that he is, has contributed in large part to the person I am today—and I will be eternally grateful. My father gave twenty-five years of his life to teaching at the school district in my town. His being a teacher at the school I attended meant that he was always nearby, and always knew...

That's it. The last of my children has entered the world of academia (ok, if you consider coloring and being read to academia). People have been asking me questions all week: Did he cry? Did YOU cry? How does it make you feel to have your baby go off to school? How does Noah like school? 1. He didn't cry. He found his friend Mia and the two of them have been inseparable ever since, requesting each and every day if one or the other can come over to play. Without much more than a wave over ...

As I drove my daughter to work this afternoon this comment is yelled from the back seat: "That store's a RIP OFF!!" I laughed. "What makes you say that?" I asked. "Well... they put that shirt up on a hanger outside the store!" It still wasn't computing with me. "Noah, do you even know what a rip-off is?" "It's when they try to trick you into coming into the store to buy something... and all they want is cash!" Ok... so maybe it's not the technical definition, but not bad for ...

I'm leaving this under "Home and Family", for lack of a better forum. A friend came over for dinner the other night and brought zucchini from his garden. Apparently he forgot about them and they grew to HUGE proportions. My plan is to halve them, scoop out the insides (not all, but some), and then stuff it with something. Anyone have suggestions for what I could put inside? I'm thinking some diced tomatoes, chopped onions and ground beef, but I'm an "all but the kitchen sink" kinda gi...