2009 August

Can it really be 7 years since we last owned a TV?

August 31, 2009

When we get calls from cable companies they usually go something like this: Cable guy: Good afternoon, ma’am. We’re calling to see if you would be interested in upgrading your service – we have a special offer at the moment where for an introductory rate of $19.99/month a switch to our provider will bring access [...]

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Hello 35, Come on in

August 26, 2009

It’s. My. Birthday. Oh yes it is. Hello, 35, is that you knocking? Well, don’t be shy, come on in. I’m ready for ya! The house is still recovering from Jackson’s birthday bash and the laundry hasn’t been done for a week. The kitchen sink busted and the disposal had to be replaced. The beds [...]

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To my freshly turned four-year-old

August 23, 2009

Dear Jackson, I loved you long before you were born. You were the destination I was traveling toward for years. But it took me so long to reach you because I came via back roads, side-streets and muddy ditches. I got bad directions en route to motherhood. And having resisted it for years, once my [...]

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Ten tips for Sightseeing in DC . . . with Kids

August 20, 2009

Summertime in the District = sightseeing trips with friends and family from far and wide. Believe it or not, we hadn’t hit this many monuments, memorials and museums since Pete and I were students, which was, you know, waaaaaaayyy back in the day. More importantly, it was way back in the day before we had [...]

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The perfect storm

August 17, 2009

It was an idyllic Friday – 8 hours of totally kid-free couple time. I should have known that that was just the quiet before the storm; the moment in Jaws where the couple is splashing playfully in the water enjoying a romantic midnight dip oblivious to the gory fate that awaits them. Because, after all, [...]

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Ten

August 14, 2009

Ten years ago I said, “I do” to a boy 4 months younger than me. I know, 4 months is practically nothing, right? But, he would tell you, “Because of those 4 months, when you are 80, I’ll only be 79!” Ten years ago I naively promised to leave behind country, family and home to [...]

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Of Bono, Elephants and Compassion

August 11, 2009

I was surrounded by rock stars last week. Bono was there. And Tony Blair. Bill Hybels MC’d. In my opinion, only Archbishop Desmond Tutu was missing from the all-star line up of speakers, leaders and visionaries who visited with me and 7,000 of my closest friends at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit in Chicago, IL. [...]

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Pizza is my Homeboy

August 3, 2009

How do you know when you have been accepted into the inner sanctum of your family-in-law? For me, that litmus test was pizza. Or more precisely, pizza toppings. Thirteen years ago when I still thought a size 8 pair of jeans was chunky and crop tops were cool, I met this boy from the Midwest [...]

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Welcome home. Again.

August 1, 2009

There’s a moment right after passengers have been told to “put your seatbacks in the upright position, stow your tray tables and fasten your seatbelts” and before the landing gear comes down when my heart starts to race at the anticipation of being home again. First comes the weather: hot, dry, sunshine. Then the visuals: [...]