So much was going on the day of YaYa’s birthday that it was practically ridiculous!  Because we had NINE KIDS staying at our house, and it was all degrees of a lovely mayhem, we skipped the annual tradition of breakfast in the bathtub.  I know.  So sad!  But NINE KIDS were…

My driver’s license expired on my birthday, and I forgot about it in the craziness of December.  The Tuesday before Christmas I had a free morning, and I knew that I had better get to the driver’s license exam office to get a new license right away.  I was prepared for…

I’ve pretty much absolutely given up the notion that I’ll ever have a calm looking picturesque Christmas card where everyone is standing still and smiling.  It’s Ok because these kidlets never ever stand still and smile, especially when they are together.  I thought you might enjoy these outtakes that did…

Perhaps you have read Julia Donaldson’s Stickman.  But then again, maybe you have not, because although her books are very popular in Great Britain, they are not as well known here in the United States.  Auntie Dot actually brought our first Julia Donaldson picture book, The Smartest Giant in Town to…

  Last Wednesday morning it snowed!  It was our first significant snow for the year, which we were all very excited about.  However, it made the short trip down the hill to school for the morning concert not so short!  It was good that I allowed plenty of extra time…

Our neighbors invited us over to make gingerbread houses from scratch.  It ended up being a two day process!  The first night the walls and yards went up, and the next night the roofs were added.  Sugar, sugar, everywhere!  Everyone had so much fun creating, and no two houses were…

Just in time for Christmas, our clothes dryer is on the fritz, which means that our family is becoming well acquainted with the dryers at the laundromat.  On the upside, the laundromat is a great place to read chapter books (except for the blaring television and music, which is a…

Almost two weeks ago now, The DSSO and the symphony chorus performed Handel’s Messiah for the first time since I have lived here.  A friend suggested we go together.  What a treat! Strangely, I’ve never actually been to a performance of the entire masterwork before.  I’ve sung parts of the…

He said to me, “Mom!  I can’t wait for someone I know to get married, because I really, really want to go to a wedding.  I really do.  Except it is very disturbing when they kiss.”