Baseball and softball signups are in full swing around here (pun totally intended). I've only got one ballplayer this year, and he's signed up for Machine Pitch baseball. They don't let first- and second-graders pitch in our town. Instead, dads man the pitching machine that plugs in under the pitcher's mound. Those dads are also Continue Reading
ArchivesMarch, 2010
05MarParty Time!
There's a birthday coming up for my second-grader; tomorrow he'll be 8 years old. We won't be setting up for a birthday party tomorrow, however--the Cub Scout troop is hosting the Blue and Gold dinner, and there's only so many parties a boy can attend at the same time. So we'll be moving his celebration Continue Reading
04MarGood Enough for Company
When you set the table on an ordinary Thursday, do you use a pretty tablecloth and the nice dishes? I'd like to. I really would. A tablecloth makes the dinner table seem a little extra special, even on an ordinary Thursday. Because we have a small kitchen, we eat all our meals in the dining Continue Reading
04MarCheaper Than Grocery Bags
The latest trend in brick-and-mortar shopping? Making customers pay for their shopping bags. If you live in Washington, DC, you're already doing that. And in San Francisco, plastic grocery bags are no longer an option at supermarkets. Now, reusable "green bags" are available everywhere, and they're quite inexpensive. Sometimes they're even free--I scored a free Continue Reading
03MarNew Tunes
Not every parent shares their taste in music with their teens. But I firmly believe that it's a good thing for parents to listen to music with their kids, to know what music their kids like. Sometimes that's a difficult thing to do. I don't like all the same music my kids do. But my Continue Reading
03MarCoffee And...
I've got a feeling that this is a very local expression. It's not something I've ever heard used since I moved away from northern New Jersey. And it's a rather difficult expression to define: "coffee and..." "Coffee and WHAT?" I always think, when I see a flyer for an event that advertises "coffee and..." Now, Continue Reading
02MarGot Nails?
When I was growing up, my dad had a workbench in our basement. He used to build things there like frames for pictures I painted in art class, doll furniture for my sister's dollhouse, and even a set of Star Trek "phaser" guns when my brother was deep into his sci-fi phase. (If I remember Continue Reading
02MarHappy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
Today is Dr. Seuss's birthday, and elementary schools all over the country are finding fun ways to celebrate. My second-grader's class has big plans to enjoy the day. They'll be reading all their favorite Dr. Seuss books, then voting on which of the books is their favorite. For math class, they'll make a graph showing Continue Reading
01MarIn Like a Lion
It's March, and if you've ever been a first-grader, then you're familiar with the old phrase, "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb." If there's a preschooler or primary-school student in your house right now, then you can expect to see the craft projects: lions with yarn manes, lambs with Continue Reading
01MarWeird Holiday Monday: Returnable Snowshoe Edition
March 1-7 is Return the Borrowed Books Week! We're not just talking about library books, either. So if you're hoarding any books that belong to someone else, it's time to give them back. If you like the book that much, get your own copy! Extra 20% off 1 item for new customers at Barnes & Continue Reading