Family

Does My Rear Look Big Like This?

August 13, 2008

The Yackstar has to be nearly twelve.  I should know, but I don’t, and each time I wonder, I have to count.  That wouldn’t be easy either, but the day I use is the one I met with the RTR’s principal.  He was going to be in the first grade, and I was going to [...]

Read the full article →

Babysitting 101? Not.

August 11, 2008

Your husband asks you if it’s okay that a nephew comes to stay for a few hours one night while his family is out on the town.  You say, “of course,” because how difficult is it to watch a 5-year-old?  After all, you’ve raised three boys of your own, and taught countless children.  Right? You: [...]

Read the full article →

You, Too, Can Organize and Decorate with Teens

August 6, 2008

Guitar The Resident Teen Rocker turned 16 while we were in Italy last month. Other than giving him a card that had our family’s required elements of butts, farting, or both, and singing Happy Birthday as horribly as we pridefully aim to, he didn’t have a candle to blow out. Now that I think of [...]

Read the full article →

You’re so over the Italy stuff, right?

July 23, 2008

Trenitalia Alta Velocita The train ride to Florence was easy.  There were no delays, the air conditioning was refreshing, and it actually seemed as if we were really skimming along at 300 km/hr, leaving cars on the autostrade in the dust, which is saying quite a bit.  We were able to look out the windows [...]

Read the full article →

Our Italian Saga Continues

July 21, 2008

Vicolo Equense ?The unpleasantness of being in Naples wore off as soon as we were settled on the boat that would take us to Sorrento. Maybe it was the deep blue of the sea, or the cool breeze that refreshed our sweaty bodies.  Or Vesuvius, looming in the distance, reminding us of all those history [...]

Read the full article →

Naples & “Rude Ebullience”

July 17, 2008

On Sunday, the fifth day of our vacation to Italy, we were ready to leave Rome.  Not so much because we were tired of being there; we’d only put a small dent in what there is to see and do.  It was more because knowing the reservations at two more places had been made, and [...]

Read the full article →

Vacation to Italy: Four days in Rome

July 15, 2008

I’ve been sitting here most of the day, clicking through the 750 photos I took while in Italy, and it’s been a pleasant way to replay our time there which now, seems a million miles away. Funny how that works, isn’t it? I took an old-fashioned journal with me, thinking I’d write since I wouldn’t [...]

Read the full article →