Not too long ago, I recounted the tale of a difficult weekend. On Monday I was breathing a sigh of relief to be shut of it. Little did I know what level of Dante’s Inferno I’d be touring the very next weekend. I think it began when I announced plans for a family excursion to [...]

We’re cruising down the road toward Michael’s school, ready for his second-to-last day. “Kidz Bop” CD #4 is playing, Michael’s current choice for drive-time musical accompaniment. We pass rows of houses, those infamous spinning trees, a set of apartment buildings and a construction site. My mind is abuzz with the usual mental din, the background [...]

My wife and I blissfully sifted awake this morning around a quarter to 8 o’clock. This is a nearly unprecedented event. I truly cannot recall the last time we were able to sleep in. We both needed it; with the frantic activities and various illnesses that cropped up last week, she and I had been [...]

It was a near miss. We nearly pulled Michael out of his in-home preschool completely yesterday. There were countless reasons: alleged complaints from parents about their kids being hurt by Michael, notes that come home describing Michael’s apparent inability to sit still or stay focused, reports of Michael being overwhelmed by the noise of the [...]

What a weekend. Friday I came home early, having contracted whatever plague Michael had brought home. The disease we’d shared was characterized by an unrelentingly stuffy nose. He suffered through his bout by continual, vigorous sniffing. This of course served no useful purpose other than to annoy his older sister; it did not provide any [...]

Michael was tired, there was no doubt of that. After over two hours of play at his favorite vaguely space-themed play facility, he was clearly bored with all of the play structures and bounce houses and other venues of rambunctious physical activity. We could tell, as he was now stalking other children in hopes of [...]

Vacation is officially over. It’s time to head back to work, school and other standard occupations. After we’ve fully enjoyed the holidays, we are curtly shoved out into the dark, dour epoch that stretches on until the next official holiday. We must endure a cold, bleak existence until February, when we come skidding up to [...]

Here’s a little quiz for all the husbands out there. Let’s say you’re working toward a deadline that is mere days away. The project has been going on for about a year, and you know you’re under the gun. And let’s say that today you have an opportunity to work late; the last opportunity this [...]

It wasn’t five star dining, it wasn’t a healthy food haven, it wasn’t an iconic classic, it wasn’t a cherished town treasure, it wasn’t an example of period architecture. It was just a great place to get a burger and a fries. And a corn dog. And a grilled cheese sandwich. And a milk shake [...]

Last night after dinner, my wife was sitting on the couch flipping through channels. I sat down next to her. “I don’t remember the last time I saw you channel surf,” I said, somewhat proud. She went past the History Channel, which was airing a “Modern Marvels” episode about 1970′s technology, and continued up the [...]