Who would ever have thought this pocket… …could hold all this? Have a great weekend!
Read MoreAll articles filed in Alex
Funny/Not Funny
Funny: Michael fell asleep on the way to piano lessons yesterday, and when I roused him to go inside, he said, “I just want to snuggle with you the whole time while you’re working.” The trouble was, he was so cuddly—for a child who employs love with such ferocity it approaches the level of violence,…
Read MoreHow my 12 year old watches a concert
St. Cecilia and all my pastoral music friends…pray for us. (And if anyone caught the misspelling of Cecilia before I fixed it…it’s not because I’m a know-nothing! It’s because my sister spells her name the way I originally wrote it!)
Read MoreGlimpsing The Future
Two sixth graders in black T-shirts, in a garage on a warm, windy Sunday afternoon. Their friends and their mothers (except for me, because every time I sit up I feel like throwing up) are out in the driveway, cutting and Gorilla gluing and holding pieces of cardboard together until the glue sets, to make a boat…
Read MoreThe Hazards of Living In A Musical Family, and other Updates on my Babies
Alex After the LEGO movie a couple of years ago, Alex started singing “Everything is awesome” all.the.time. Woe was me. Then, knowing I loathed the song even more than I loathed the movie, he started teasing me by singing “Percy Jackson ro-ocks!” on the same tune. Then he got tired of Julianna’s obsession with Frozen,…
Read MoreMy Tween: The Adventure Begins
He wants to grow his hair out. His hair is exactly like mine—ridiculously thick, unruly, and curly—and for years I’ve been mussing his head and telling him if he grew it out we could have the same hair style. He’s never liked having his hair cut. He’d come inside on hot summer days, with sweat…
Read MoreFamily Business, Part 1
Every so often, a girl’s just got to share the collected gems that don’t warrant a post all their own. So while Christian and I are off enjoying our weekend away, I’m going to take advantage of the down time. Today in the spotlight: Christian and Alex. Christian A couple of weeks ago we found…
Read MoreOf Walking Bean Fields And Mowing Lawns, and Teaching Kids A Work Ethic
There’s a repertoire of “farm kid” stories that country kids have to have: loading, unloading and stacking straw and hay bales is on the list (check), and some great animal stories that are not universally appropriate to share (check). For a lot of people, detassling corn is one of Those Stories. I never did that,…
Read MoreA Decade of Parenthood In Pictures
This child was in no hurry to make his appearance in the world. I should have known then I had a kindred spirit on my hands. But I wrote Alex’s birth story last year, so this year I’m going to share pictures instead as a happy birthday to my boy.
Read MoreThe Courage Not To Hide His Smile
He hides his smiles. Or at least, he tries. He can’t say for sure why he does it. But at some deep level in my soul I think I understand, because he is so much like me. He’s self-conscious, and he’s trying to be humble. Always, one or both of those things comes into play.…
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Kathleen M. Basi 