Back to School Musings by Paul

This post is by my guest blogger, who also happens to be my husband, Paul. 

Today always reminds me of this old Staples commercial. Classic! And funny because it rings true (at least a little bit) with every parent I know.

Anyone with children has experienced it: Toward the end of the summer, our kids begin to sit in front of the TV a little longer … they bicker a little more frequently … they miss their friends from school.  It’s time to go back. We all know it in our gut.

And yet, there’s a sadness to the first day of school. It signals the end of the relatively carefree days of summer. ANOTHER summer gone. We’re 8 months through another year. Where does the time go? Our kids are growing up way too fast! Is it possible that next year I’ll have one in Middle School and one in High School!? It just doesn’t seem possible.

This snowball of a thought process is why this time of year also puts me in mind of eternity. Call me weird … it’s just how my mind works. To borrow from another commercial: Life comes at you fast. I find it scary to think about just how fast life moves. It’s like that line in the song “Fireflies”: “I’d like to make myself believe, that planet Earth turns slowly.” But it doesn’t. It moves fast. Really fast. And so, I lapse into this momentary sadness and it threatens to envelope me. But then something else takes over. It’s a kind of excitement. In fact, it’s why I don’t hate going through this whole thought process every September.

You see, the first day of school – in the midst of the separation anxiety I’m feeling from missing my kids – also reminds me to take stock in what’s important in life. For me, it becomes another opportunity to stop and appreciate my family and friends and, more importantly, to re-energize my faith. To thank God for His many blessings and to think about how, in return, I can bless others in His name. This is why I’m here … why I exist. And, so, in a way not intended by Staples … I do indeed count this as the most wonderful time of year. 

The Faces of H

Today, Hayden let me photograph him for about 20 minutes straight. He was funny, awkward, belligerent, adorable, serious, and directable; these are but a few of the results.

If you have the time, you might want to try this endeavor. It proved to be a bonding time and also yielded some photos that I, and Hayden's future wife, will treasure.

Crafty Lady

Say it isn't so.

i just finished my first, and perhaps my last, scrapbook. Does this mean I am officially and squarely in the "crafty" camp?

I have numerous ideas as to how to celebrate the end of Turner's commitment with Little League. He has had seven glorious years and I want to celebrate it in ways he will treasure. I intend to frame one of his all star jerseys and make a quilt out of all his uniform t-shirts. I also made a scrapbook to commemorate his 12-year-old year.

And today I finished it. I feel very accomplished.

Sunday's Creation

Starting to make some new creations in preparation for the show on Nov. 13 at my church. This one is part lasso, part necklace! It can be worn short or long. All proceeds will be used to support my family's upcoming service trip to the Dominican Republic. If you need a one of a kind hostess, teacher, or thank you gift, I am also happy to give you a private show at my house!

Cape Cod Post Mortem

Just back from a glorious week in Eastham on the Cape: 7 days of sunshine, great mother/wife moments, a gorgeous beach in walking distance from the house we rented, my youngest caught his first striper (25 inches long!), and the best friends a girl could ask for!

While it is still fresh in my mind, I share my critique of the places we visited. Hope it helps your next visit to the Cape!

Hopper Real Estate: though they have a user friendly website, their staff (polite, but not out of the way friendly) didn't seem to care when Paul told them there was a short in the outdoor light.

Moby Dick's: an exceptional seafood place in Wellfleet! Great ambiance, friendly servers from all over the world (ours were Russian and British), and a BYO policy that makes the evening affordable. Paul recommends the grilled striper and I say try the scallops!

The Wellfleet Drive-In: Very nice people. They gave my puppy a biscuit and told him to enjoy the show!

Cape Cod Potato Chip Company Factory Tour: While their chips are great, the tour is just terrible. Literally, you walk down a hall and read some signs. Don't waste your time.

Hole In One: Yum, yum, yum. I confess that I am a tad Homer Simpson-ish in my complete adoration of donuts...all donuts, even the boxed ones that Hostess makes. However, the donuts from Hole In One are simply out of this world. Each variety had just the right texture and level of cakey-ness, the jelly donuts were soft like pillows and the toasted coconut was crunchy on the outside and firm on the inside. The highest marks go to the sour cream donut and the glazed. If you are anywhere on the Cape, go here. It is worth the trip and the wait in line. The staff gets poor marks for curtness, but if I was dealing with the masses of people that they see each morning, I might get out of patience too.

Nauset Ice Cream: This placed kicked the butt of the Ben & Jerry's that is right down the street. It is really flavorful ice cream that isn't too creamy. Lots of interesting flavors to try. Paul had coconut almond, I had coffee heath, and T had a vanilla milk shake; all were exceptional. The servers, all high school or college kids, didn't show any love for slinging scoops, but they gave us generous portions so they were immediately forgiven. And they were still nicer that the snotty people working at B&J's. Oh, and the prices were reasonable; $2.85 for a small which was anything but.

Russ and Marie's: This was by far the worst restaurant experience I have had in the last 10 years (I can't remember farther back than that). The food was lousy and the service was even worse. Our waiter was rude and screwed up the order. It would have been more pleasant to light the $95 we spent on fire.

Eastham Superette: This little convenience store has been family owned for about 55 years. It has everything from a nice little deli, to produce, to spare wiffle balls. Their is an adjoining liquor store with knowledgeable staff who helped us find just the right bottle of wine for dinner. The people who work there are exceptionally nice to tourists, not only making recommendations for nice places to visit (they recommended the local winery tour which we didn't have time for) but also cracking jokes while cutting deli meat (Why did the turtle cross the road?). The building is quaint, their location is convenient. The superette gets two thumbs way up from me.

Cape Cod Beer: Located near the Cape Cod Chip Factory, this little brewery has a laid back vibe, friendly workers (we were greeted by the brewmaster and president Todd) who offered us a beer tasting just for stopping by, and a nice little gift shop. They promote shopping locally for produce and the like, of which I am a fan. And their gift shop sells an all organic soap for pets...as the brewery has a brewery dog named Buster. Paul liked their Cape Cod IPA and Pat was partial to their amber, cleverly named Red Right Return.

Red Barn: A totally ticky-tacky-shmacky tourist trap with mini-golf and a gift shop featuring everything you'd expect, the Red Barn is most known for its pizza. In fact their pizza restaurant does a booming business. Locals told us Red Barn offered the best pizza on the Cape. Every time I have pizza anywhere but the New Haven area, I am grateful that I grew up in CT and know what excellent pizza tastes like. That's all I'm saying.

All in all it was an exceptionally fun week in Eastham. While I'd like to attribute it to the glorious weather and the excellent local provisions, mostly it was due to great friends and total relaxation. Can't wait to go back.

Captain Destruction

Hi my name is Brutus. I am a Halloween baby. Right now, I am just over 9 months old. I was adopted by my family one week before Christmas and in addition to offering an abundance of kisses and cuddles, I have reigned a daily dose of destruction down on my home.

Here's the list of items I have destroyed so far:
• I chewed the linoleum in the kitchen off the floor in large sheets...so much so that we now have a new kitchen floor (you can see the beginning of the wreckage in the top right photo). Secretly, I think my mom is happy.
• I gnawed on the hose that connects the toilet to the plumbing coming out of the wall. Mom was having a party. I heard her say to dad, "Is something running?" When she came in the bathroom and saw water spraying from the hose all over the walls she wasn't very happy.
• I have worked steadily on all four corners of the wooden step stool my mom has had since she was a kid. I think it looks very rustic now.
• I also enjoy the feel of the wicker laundry basket between my teeth (I am sitting atop it, above middle). Whenever mom takes the lid off, I am pretty sure she is handing it to me to consume.
• Whenever I am not in my crate, I like to chew on that too...all aspects of it actually: the clips, the sides of the opening (it's all good).
• The toilet plunger was also quite yummy. I shredded that baby!
• My latest project is peeling the wallpaper off the walls in the downstairs bathroom. Not only does it taste good and provide some fun for me, but also I think it is time for a change in that room.

Ugly Dolls, Part II

As promised (see the original post here), here is Samantha's finished original Ugly Doll. She named hers Eeedos. At left, she makes the same face as her new friend.

Pet Peeves

We all have them. I have decided to collect mine and share them. I am not sure if this is some sort of confession, a plea to the rest of the world to adapt to my point of view, or simply cathartic. Here goes...

1. When "ya know" routinely gets inserted into random spots in a sentence.
2. Bickering during backyard sports.
3. When the paper towel dispenser in public bathrooms is hung directly over the trash can.
4. Being interrupted.
5. Being made to be late because of someone else's poor planning.
6. Going to a drive through and then, because the service is too slow, being asked to go park and the server will walk the food out to you. If I had the time to park, I would have done that in the first place, right?
7. Whining. Enough said.
8. Pants that are too tight. Can you say muffin top?
9. Being asked what I want to give or receive for Christmas, birthdays, etc. In my view, getting or giving a gift is being observant and sneaky enough to both discern what others would truly enjoy and drop enough creative hints to be the recipient of treasures I adore. If I fail on either side of the equation, well...that's on me.
10. When a dog's waste isn't picked up by the animal's owner in public places (parks, sidewalks, etc.).
11. Poor communication that leads to misunderstanding...it's so avoidable.
12. The norm that says wearing sneakers with dresses/skirts to take a walk while at work is OK. In my book, it is never OK.
13. Men/boys who pee on the seat. I don't care if you have the aim of a self-guided missile, there is always spray. C'mon now...lift the seat!
14. When children are sent out in public with fevers, sore throats, etc. It is one thing if an adult chooses to do that, but making that choice for a child irks me to no end.

Feel free to comment and add a few of yours. I am quite sure I will have a part two to this post at some point, so don't feel bad if your list is longer than mine!

Photo from Blog Goggles, thank you!