Well, the world lost another one today. When I was nine years old, my uncle beat the crap out of me. We’d been wrestling and he was winning (because he was nineteen) and as I knelt at his feet, my hands behind my back, I spit on him. And he lost it, cause, well, gross…. Read More

Okay– I always suck at this. My family’s white elephant exchange is this weird little dance between the practical and the practical joke, and for the longest time it was the hardest part of my year.  The trick is to buy something that is both awful and wonderful at the same time. It shouldn’t be… Read More

I have a couple of confessions to make. The first of which is that I’m not a very good knitter. Nice people will protest– people who have received my knitting as gifts will protest the loudest– but the fact is, when Rance from Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur Bearing Critters said, “My knitting is simple,”… Read More

Okay– so, we’re down to piles and fudge. I know that doesn’t sound exciting, but “piles” is where we sort all of the presents and see how much stuff our kids actually have. Because when you’re throwing it in the cart and trying to keep track of everybody it either A. Feels like way too… Read More

“Okay, so Squish gets the–“ “We already got her the—“ “But what do we have at home?” “I forget– did you get ZoomBoy the–“ “I thought you got him the–“ “But what did you order from the place?” “Do they both get clothes?” “Do they both need clothes?” “But they always get clothes–and pajamas!” “Pajamas!… Read More

So– I’ve been getting to the part of my year where, periodically, I have a quiet moment, gaze serenely into space, and suddenly shout, “Oh crap!” Because one more damned thing didn’t get done. Goddammit and oh crap. So, while I run around and finish an edit and write my Christmas letter so we can… Read More

I had a totally different plan for this blog… And then I discovered I could pull up blog pictures from ten years ago and it all went to hell. Aren’t my babies beautiful, back when they were babies? I can’t wait to show them these pictures tomorrow. *sniffle* After I’ve sobbed my eyes out. I’ve… Read More

Okay– falling asleep, so this is gonna go quick: *  Finished Red Fish, Dead Fish– it’s almost 100K, and it’s a sequel to Fish Out of Water. Woot! *  Attended ZoomBoy’s choir recital tonight–where I was not only impressed with my offspring, but also impressed at how wonderfully all those middle schoolers sang when most… Read More

Seriously–I had the strangest day. There was taking T to get his prescription, wandering the pet store, trying to finish this damned book–all of that had a patina of general weirdness over it, but nothing, NOTHING tops the morning walk. For starters, this was the morning I left the house with only one poop bag…. Read More

The Virgin Manny Sometimes family is a blessing and a curse. When Tino Robbins is roped into helping his sister deliver her premade Italian dinners when he should be studying for finals, he’s pretty sure it’s the latter! But one delivery might change everything.Channing Lowell’s charmed life changes when his sister dies and leaves him… Read More