• 2022 Sunday Night at the Beach: Edition 2

    It was another chilly night, but the wind didn’t have quite as big of teeth. The Banana and the Devious Snail and I picked up Mr. TOF from baseball practice and drove down to the Secret Beach just as the sun was setting. We brought towels just in case, but…

  • New Household Resident

    All of his siblings were gone for most of the week, so he was an only child who filled his days with baseball, dog sitting for our neighbors, reading books and relaxing. However, we did acquire a trombone! For a number of really good reasons, Mr. TOF has decided to…

  • Tis the Season

    It is baseball, baseball, baseball every day for this guy. He’s either practicing, playing in a game, listening to the Minnesota Twins on the radio, or contemplating the future of turning 13 when he can become an umpire for Little League games. (He moves up to an older team next…

  • Slightly Stereotypical

    She tried on her new uniform and tried out her “No Running!!!” voice on her siblings. We all declared that our water loving swimmer makes a stereotypical (but very responsible) lifeguard. May she have a wonderful summer keeping people in line and averting catastrophe.

  • Some Things I’ve Been Loving

    For this entire school year I have been enjoying the enormous hug pile that awaits me at the end of each Thursday morning preschool music class. After we sing the “Good-bye Song” an enormous group of small people smother me with hugs all at once. My friend Rhonda sent me…

  • Thunderous

    A couple of weeks ago we had numerous rainstorms right after a major snowmelt, which meant that all the rivers were in their glory. On a warm and sunny Friday afternoon I asked The Banana and Mr. TOF if they wanted to take a quick drive up the North Shore…

  • Crocus

    Last fall I stuck one hundred crocus bulbs into the hill on the south side of the yard by the sidewalk using a spoon. My hand was tired by the end, but it was all worth it this spring when those brave little flowers poked up and brought a little…

  • First Orchestra Concert

    He’s attended so many orchestra concerts in his lifetime: symphony concerts, chamber orchestra concerts, school orchestra concerts where his siblings played, youth symphony concerts to see his siblings play, college orchestra concerts. Finally it was time for his very own orchestra concert! The viola section sounded mighty fine. For two…