One of my friends in my neighborhood mentioned that it would be really fun to be able to hear all the kids  in the neighborhood who are learning instruments right now, and from that notion came the idea of having a music sharing night at our house, since we happen…

We were driving in the car on our way back from running an errand. Mr. TOF:  Mama!  It’s getting closer and closer to my birthday! Me:  Yes, it is. Mr. TOF:  Me can’t wait! Me:  Maybe you should stop growing now. Mr. TOF:  I can’t.  I have to get big…

“Someday I hope to set the world record for wearing the same clothes for the most number of days.  Don’t worry though, I’ll take them off long enough to take a shower, and then put them right back on again.” I suggested he wait until he left home for  college…

J.S. Bach had 20 children.  (I already knew that).  However, 10 of the children died as infants, preschoolers and children, and another one reached adulthood but was mentally handicapped.  That speaks of a lot of sorrow, heartbreak, and a lot of perseverance.  It makes my stomach hurt just thinking about…

National Poetry is nearly over, and I meant weeks ago to post some of my favorite sources for the poetry I read out loud to my family each night at supper.  I try to include all sorts of different kinds of poems, so I pull material from all sorts of…

It’s his job to take out the recycling every evening.  Half the time there are bits and pieces of plastic, paper and cardboard scattered randomly along the path to the recycling bin outside, little tidbits that he has dropped without realizing it because he’s intent on doing the job as…

Helicopters have been flying in my house these past few weeks.  There are several, and they add to the chaos exponentially.  They hover and crash.  Their remote control signals get mixed up.  Their short lived battery life invokes tantrums before they are recharged.  They set off the carbon monoxide detector.…

Every once in awhile my kids will mention something that they didn’t understand when they were younger.  Often the misunderstanding is the result of a subtle difference in meaning for a word, or sometimes it is because they don’t entirely understand h0w something works.  The other day I was driving…

The Banana asked “When I am I going to get my violin?” every day for three years.  Three years is a long time when you are seven.  For years I mostly  set the notion of her starting violin to the side on a shelf.  I thought she might change her…

At supper I looked over at my eldest son. The opening of his ear was smeared with sticky brown ear wax, and there were several large chunks stuck in the goo. Me:  Honey, I think we need to wash your ears. Mr. SP:  NO!  No!  Anything but that! Me:  Well,…