The speech is coming along, but I do have to say that Sean hit the nail on the head when he said 18 years of marriage brings with it 18 years of baggage.  The baggage is everywhere in our home.  It’s in our bathroom first thing in the morning when I go to use my shampoo and somebody has left the cap off again (which leaves me to wash my hair with the equivalent of soapy water).  It’s in our garage when I trip over someone’s size 10 running shoes while trying to carry MK to her car seat.  It’s even in the driveway when I maneuver around our empty trash cans that are waiting to be dragged back to the house three days after the garbage was picked up.  I guess it’s easy to see the “baggage” that others leave around my life because it pops up everywhere annoying and frustrating me several times a day. (more…)

The kids and I live with Captain Safety.  Who’s Captain Safety?  He’s the guy in our house that can often be heard shouting warnings like, “Wash your hands before you eat!” or “Don’t run with scissors!”  He has a nose for spoiled food, an uncanny ability to remind us to dress appropriately for the weather, and is always chasing the boys with fruit to ensure that they have consumed their daily allowance of vitamin C and anti-oxidants.  In the summer, Captain Safety is always armed with sunscreen in one hand and bug spray in the other.  He is our protector and although we love him dearly, his reminders are often met with sarcastic eye rolls and disrespectful utterances. (more…)

Our sixteen-year-old son is learning how to drive a car.

A sixteen-year-old. And my car.

And, unfortunately, I have to teach him.  There are no do-overs or reset buttons when learning how to drive and this scares the hell out of me.  I would rather have a colonoscopy—and I’m speaking from experience here–than  be a passenger with a  teenager behind the wheel. Don’t get me wrong, I do like the kid and he is way high on the responsibility bell curve for his age, but what is that really saying? He is one of the best of the worst drivers?  Why are Carolyn and I allowing him to pursue his license?  I would rather have him be driving than sitting in a passenger seat with another teenager at the wheel. But I’ve also concluded that  teenage drivers should have their own lane on the highway with barricades on each side. Just like bowling: no gutter balls allowed. (more…)