Today started out not so great, however, I was mentally prepared for it (living with 3 teens, a 20-something-year-old and not sleeping very well, having agonized over ALL the things, last night), because there's always a fair amount of crazy going on at our house and I am a fully-functional worry wart. Heather: Holly has an interview, so you're taking me to work, right? There's a long and very convoluted story of why Heather doesn't have her driver's license, yet. It's not my story to tell. Suffice it to say, spring cannot come quick enough. Me: Yup! [looks out window]... Read more →

I loved whenever my kids would bring their school projects home and, considering we've had a kid in preschool, grade school, middle school or high school since 1996, we have certainly collected a fair amount of "pretties" over the years. Every now and again, I'll find a construction paper greeting card tucked deep in between some books or reach for a pen and grab one with a plastic daisy (my favorite flower) taped to the end of it and I'll remember...ohhhhh, yeah...this was the Mother's Day card Glen made me and that is the pen that Hope gave me one... Read more →

I have NEVER been (or will ever be) associated with anything even remotely petite. I was one of the lucky ones to have blossomed earlier than the rest of my entire second grade class, which earned me the nickname "Amazon", because SECOND GRADE and...flash-forward eleventy-three years...SARCASM!!! Then, sometime around the fall of 6th grade, the Wonder Woman television show hit the airways: Aaaaand, I was all...BOOM!!!...POW!!!...NOW all the world is ready for me, and all the wonders I could do! Even though I wasn't as...uhhhhhh...tricked out...as Lynda Carter was (still is) ...physically...or any other 'cally...especially, in the 6th grade...or ever.... Read more →

I was pregnant with our oldest daughter when Garth (not his real name) and I bought our house, which makes for an awesome timeline...because our oldest daughter turned 21 in November...and now I don't have to worry about doing too much math, to figure out that we bought this house 21 years ago and...YES!!!...I'm an awesome planner, like that. 3 more kids later, not so much. This house was supposed to be our starter home. What?!? Okay, fine. I guess it's safe to say that we're just really sloooooooooooow starters...ahem...aaaaaanyway, a modest 3 bedroom home would fit us perfectly. 3... Read more →

Contrary to what the rest of my family feels (except for my son, who celebrates his birthday on the 23rd), January is one of my most favorite months of the year. For me, waking up on New Year's Day is sort of like turning to a fresh page in a brand new notebook or purchasing a novel I've been aching to read. Half the excitement is in the anticipation of the journey, equaled only by the endless possibilities in watching the progression of a story unfold. Personal blogging is a lot like that: I have ALL the words in January,... Read more →

Blogging while under the influence of teenagers is hard, but blogging in December is way harder and this is where my son would holler, "That's what SHE said!" from somewhere else in the house, because teenagers are very selective about their hearing and especially with regard to retaining information -- most especially when passing along said information, at the most inappropriate of times. Siiiiiiiiiigh. Oh, and I was going to throw in something about working full-time, but decided not to (you're welcome!) because life sort of has a way of coming back and biting me in the butt...REAL HARD...and I... Read more →

It's the holidays, again -- or the holidaze, as we call it at our house. It hit 70+ degrees, yesterday...and the Weather Channel dudes promised 60's, today...then we're supposed to get hit with a snow storm, tomorrow...and WELCOME TO JERSEY! I even saw a couple of gnats flying around, all confused and stuff, until I squashed them against the kitchen window...because gnats are gnasty. [sound of crickets, gasping for breath] Aaaaaanyway, for the holidaze to have officially arrived at our house, at least one of three things has probably happened. A major appliance has died or is very nearly dead.... Read more →