Avonlea and Oliver started school this morning. For a few brief moments, I got to remember how easy it is to move around and get things done without a child right at hand. *1* Avonlea will be going three days a week, while Oliver will only be going for two, but that should allow me… Continue reading School’s in

My family visited the beach pretty regularly when I was young. We lived in Florida – that, and visit Disney, is what you did. Now, people always assume that to live in Florida is to live on the beach,  and that certainly isn’t the case at all. I grew up in the middle of orange… Continue reading Pale

It’s an interesting stage of life we’re in right now. Our days usually start before 7, and don’t end until we put the kids down, usually around 8:30. It’s nearly 14 hours of go-go-go, and yet, when my visiting sister asked what I’ve been up to, all I could say was, “well, you know, nothing… Continue reading Busy doing nothing

I get asked, pretty much every time I talk to someone, “how’s support raising going?” Which is a fair question, as it is a main focus of our lives, and is what stands between us and France.  Even still, I feel sometimes that this is like asking me, “How tall is Oliver today?”  “Taller than… Continue reading Where we’re at

As I look back over the last (nearly) nine years of marriage, I can say that almost all of the bad decisions we’ve made were unilaterally mine. I can say almost, because one stands out that was entirely Donnette’s. It happened right after we got back from our honeymoon. I was waiting tables at the… Continue reading Norbert

I’m watching a little boy for some friends today, while their normal babysitter is out of town. He’s exactly one week younger than Oliver, though he’s had teeth and could crawl for months now.  Not too long ago, Donnette ran into a woman at the store who’s daughter had a 1 year old, and then… Continue reading 3 Sleeping Babies

I’ve had, by my best estimation, about 14 surgeries over the course of my life. *1* Mostly due to my hips and feet, which have each been worked on more than a couple of times. I had my first hip surgery before my first birthday; my first foot surgery before my sixth. I came down… Continue reading Hospitals

Google maps said our trip to Alabama would take six hours even. It took 9.5. In all fairness, there were some mitigating circumstances that the good folks *1* up in Mountain View couldn’t anticipate. Like children. And Atlanta. And children. The distance was only 380 miles. When Donnette and I dated long distance for a… Continue reading Drive times

And reactivated my Twitter account today.  I’m only going to use it for food related thoughts and ideas. Recipes too, if they’re under 140 characters.  Somehow I already have 14 followers, and that was after only one tweet some two years ago. With that kind of average, I’ll be famous by tomorrow. *1* So, if… Continue reading I broke down…

Avonlea woke up in a good mood this morning.  It would not last long.  To be more specific, her demeanor shifted right around the end of breakfast. It was around this time that Donnette decided to do her (A’s) hair, *1* and while I don’t think this decision led to the change, it certainly marked… Continue reading Adventures in parenting