My three grandkids (ages 5, 5, and 3) flew in from Boston yesterday with their parents and are here for the holidays. When I came downstairs this morning at 7am, the kids were already up and playing a game called “Let’s throw Hot Wheels cars at the shiny Christmas tree bulbs.” They were very good… Continue reading Rocketing the Christmas Tree
My youngest child recently wrote and mailed a letter for the first time. He’s 21. To his credit, he knew he needed to attach a stamp before sending it off. A few years ago, his older sister attempted the same thing but just taped a bunch of quarters onto an envelope. I know what you’re… Continue reading Mail 101
[The following story is based on a stormy December night from 2003. No names have been changed, no characters invented, no events fabricated. Mostly.] Dashin’ through the snowIn a one-horse open sleigh The lights are up. The tree is decorated. O’er the fields we goLaughin’ all the way The sound of holiday music fills the… Continue reading Christmas Remix
My wife left me. She’s visiting our grandkids and will come back next week, probably, but things are going to be rough around here until then. To survive, the kids and the dog and I created the following 7-day plan: Day 1: Stock up on toilet paper and hand sanitizer.Day 2: Carefully ration out our… Continue reading On Our Own
Fortunately, I’ve spent the past several decades establishing a 10-step guide that helps me get through it. Confirm with my wife and kids that, yes, we’re still the type of people that hang lights on our house during the holidays.Wait until at least one other house in the neighborhood has its lights up, because nobody… Continue reading It’s Christmas Light Season, Again
