Yesterday Sophie left music class and announced to Ms. X that she wants to play the trumpet.

Today I was planning to write about something really sad, the latest funeral I attended. Instead I think I’ll write about donuts. Specifically, Voodoo Doughnuts. (What IS the correct spelling, anyhow? I prefer donut. The dough thing is somehow TMI.) Leave it to Portland, Oregon to have a cult following for a shack of a donut shop […]

 The discussion about Down syndrome kids as mascots continues, sparked by the Today show clip with the high school kid playing basketball. Maya has a really great take on the whole thing at  http://beneaththewings.blogspot.com and Ricki’s Mom has equally smart things to say at http://everythingforareason-moon.blogspot.com. But today I’m thinking about penguins. This morning I popped into Sophie’s […]

The forecast called for rain and sun today. “Rainbow weather,” Ray called it. It was also the rare Sunday we were home with no plans (for much of the day, at least). It was the perfect day for a toy dump. That’s our term around here for the act (art?) of cleaning out the toy room, […]

At 6:30 this morning, I heard her. Shuffle, shuffle, stomp stomp stomp, as she climbed out of bed and ran across on the noisy wood floor, headed — I don’t know where. “Sophie?!” I called. “I get up by myself!” she announced. I coaxed her into my room and she climbed in bed with me. […]

I didn’t go to my prom. Neither did Ray. I’m not sure what he did that night, but I’m quite certain he didn’t attend a speech and debate tournament instead. (Actually, I just asked him, since he’s across the kitchen making coffee. I’ll have to edit part of his response, but he said he’s not […]

Just yesterday, my boss and I were rolling our eyes over all the writing contests we’re forced to enter each year — that endless search for approval in the subjective world of journalism. (Not so subjective now that you can count web hits — a dangerous direction. I’m fairly certain I have colleagues who sit […]

My parents came by last night to meet Jack and see the Big Girl Bed. We were eating takeout when Ray came home from work, and amidst the flurry of hellos and congratulations, he asked, “So, who does he look like? Amy or me?” It is true, Jack is like a third child — in […]

I had an odd dream last night. I don’t remember much about it,  just bits and pieces. In it, I was young and single. Hadn’t gotten married, hadn’t had kids. I was dating, though. I had a boyfriend. We lived together, and in the dream, he was asleep in a big bed. Like in a […]

It’s been a banner day. (Not for the poor Arizona Cardinals.) Jack is home. He’s got a huge crate and several toys and he’s already peed in the kitchen four times. The Big Girl Bed is home, too, but not in the Big Girl’s Room, not yet. I took Sophie to IKEA today, BY MYSELF, and […]