p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 14.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} I can see changes in Benji daily - a stronger grasp of language, a steadier gait.  He seems to grow taller and … Continue reading Birthday Unicorns, Probabilities and the certainty of Professor Google

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 14.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} So, I've had a few people ask me about Ojichaan.  Where is he?  Where did he go?  What happened?And I haven’t been … Continue reading Living in Siberia, Taking Communal Showers and Other Things I’d Do to Stay Close to My Kids

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 13.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 15.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}  Here is my case for being grateful when we fail:I wrote a book about ten years ago. After I wrote it I … Continue reading Why Not Achieving Your Dreams Can Be the Best Thing Ever

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 14.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} I’m going to be honest, I’m confused.  This blog, what is it anyway?  Is it a way to communicate with friends and … Continue reading Throwing Words Down Wells and Evolving The Babies. Or, Changing Diapers of Yellow Poo.

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 12.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} I’ve always enjoyed being outside.  The sun on my back, the earth between my fingers, the reward of seeing the budding shoots … Continue reading My Old Man Hands and Other Beautiful Things

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 12.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} For a few hours Thursday morning we were without power.  The silence was so complete I could hear the crackling of the … Continue reading Standing up to Bullies or No Cockroaches Here, Thanks or Happy Easter!

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 12.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none} In the Navy Seals they have this thing called Hell Week.  It happens early on, in … Continue reading Am I a Navy SEAL Yet? (And other questions from this side of Hell Week)

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 12.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} I’m trying my best to ignore the simmering resentment emanating from the in-law suite.  We are in day two of a massive … Continue reading Why Jichaan is Mad at Me

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 12.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} What I’ve done this week:Listened to the movie ‘Inside Out’ 1,247 times.Listened to Ojichaan tell me how to prune my roses so … Continue reading Growing Flowers with Jichaan

p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 11.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 12.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} But first, so it turns out it isn’t going to be easy to apply for my masters degree.  (I know…I was surprised too)  … Continue reading Pulling Weeds by Hand and Muttering to My Tomatoes