This playing at Grandma and Grandpa’s house is lots of work.

Ruby gave me a new bedtime stalling tactic I hadn’t heard before. In nine years of parenting and now six kids, I’ve heard a few. Pretty sure Ruby’s topped them all. “Pajamas and teeth, Ruby.”“I can’t.”“Why not?”“I can’t find my teeth.”And then… she looked at me most sheepishly, realized the error of her dreamed-up excuse, […]

Kindergarten is a fun grade to teach. The learning is so new, there’s so much to learn, and five year olds are brutally honest. Today’s reading had Sterling in a befuddled mess. Dr-i-ve. Dr-i-ve. Over and over he sounded out ‘drive’, saying it but still unsure what the word was. Finally I jumped in, and […]

In doing (kindergarten) math this morning with Sterling, I asked him to tell me a “some, some more” story. He looked at me with confusion. “I’ll tell you one, and then you can tell me one. Three kids were in line for the slide. One slid down. Now there are two kids waiting. Your turn.” […]

So I’m sitting here, staring at “Enter a post title” followed by a blank white page and I’ve realized something. My funny got up and left. Somewhere, in the stress that is life right now, my sense of humor snuck out the back without so much as a farewell. It’s a sad state of affairs. […]