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} “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”  Harry Potter and … Continue reading Updates and Self-Help (Help!) Books and Chocolate Cake

It's.Getting.Hot.In.Here! Ever see that Claritin commercial where they put a filter over the camera lens to blur and mute the colors and then take it away and everything looks brighter, clearer, sharper and more colorful than real life should? That’s how this week has felt for me.  The hugs from the babies feel more poignant, … Continue reading Being Grateful, But Finding Time To Rant About Things I Have No Business Ranting About

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} First, Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful momma’s out there.  And to all those who are moms to kids they didn’t … Continue reading Dark Days and Eating Unicorn Cake

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)