A Toddler's Take

We all see things differently. The English biologist/politician John Lubbock once wrote, "What we see depends mainly on what we look for". If this is true, then I wonder what that says about a three year old boy named Sam. Here's his interpretation of events that take place in "The Lord of the Rings". The naked man is mean and he bites the fingers of the nice guy and falls into the orange water that's really hot. And the big dragon is really scary and he tries to eat the nice kids. And the elephants are really, REALLY big.

Things I learned from Teddy Roosevelt (and my dad)

Last week our fridge broke.

Busted. Not cold. Damaged. Getting warmer. I had no clue as to what I should do. Called the repairman. Told me it would cost $300 to fix. Did some research on the internet. Identified the problem. Bought the part for $47.39. Replaced the part. Felt like the "coolest" woman on earth! "Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, 'Certainly I can!' Then get busy and find out how to do it." Teddy Roosevelt

For those of you who know Isabel....

this picture...

says it all!

Bella Bella Bella Samuerella

A picture is worth a thousand words

The Creative Genius of a 7 Year Old Boy

When posed the question... "How could I make myself look like a bird?", most people would think ... feathers. But not a seven year old boy.... give him some white computer paper and a role of masking tape....he's good to go.

Don't you wish life was always that simple?

Books, books, and more books

As I sit here... thinking about the joy that awaits me on July 21st.... I can't help but think that I really need to get a life. I mean, seriously, what kind of Harry Potter dork, am I? Don't I have better things to look forward to than the release of Deathly Hallows? Don't I have four children and a husband that I adore? Don't they keep me occupied and happy?

The answer is yes... but when the kids and Josh are all tucked in and the lights are out... I sometimes lie in bed and ponder the questions that have been plaguing me for some time now... Is Snape good or bad? Will Harry die? Is Dumbledore really dead? Will Ron and Hermione ever get together? And my personal favorite... Is Draco really a werewolf?

These are the kinds of questions that really matter in life... the kinds of questions that, if you can only find the answers to, will make all the difference in the world.

Yea.. so maybe Isabel has the chicken pox... she'll survive... but will Harry? And yea, Noah and Sam both have birthdays coming up.... but what about the pain that Snape must be feeling.... the torment and guilt over having killed Dumbledore.... or maybe not? Maybe he planned it all along so that he could prove his loyalty to Voldemort and get rid of Dumbledore at the same time?

Oh yea... and Grace is blossoming into quite a beautiful young lady right before my eyes.... but what about blossoming relationship between Ron and Hermione... where will that lead? I don't have the answers and it's driving me crazy.

That is why, on July 20th at 11:30 pm, you'll find me at my local Walmart... standing in line with a bunch of other well-read and intelligent people; waiting for our turn to snatch a copy of the book that has all the answers.

So what if most of them are under the age of 16. So what if some of them are wearing black cloaks and tall wizard hats. The thing that really matters is what's going on INSIDE of them. And let me tell you.... it's pretty deep stuff.