Pater Familias Domesticus

Our School District is kind enough to offer jump start summer programs for the students. “So…it’s summer school?” I asked. “No…well yes…but not like summer school when we were young.” Annie replied, “It’s educational fun stuff, Lydie’s involved in a stage production of the Lion King, she’s also taking a Learning with Legos course.” I certainly wasn’t about to criticize it, it’s summer vacation, any opportunity to get my obnoxiously bored little girl out of the house for a couple…

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My little girl plays head games. Lyd’s teacher last year was Mrs. Rashid and Lyd’s Principal was Mrs. Endres-Lovell. This distinction matters here, so again, Teacher = Rashid, Principal = Endres-Lovell. Are we clear? Principal Endres-Lovell is often outside expediting the drop-off line. She’s opening van doors, helping the little ones out before wishing us all a good morning, It’s a pretty handy service she offers. One morning we’re waiting in the line, Reggie craned her head up and said,…

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Once upon a time, before I was a car owner, I’d peruse all the automobile magazines fantasizing about the cars I would drive. It changed from time to time. I had a Corvette phase, a Camaro phase, ooh! How about a Mustang? Maybe I could go to one of those auctions and get a GTO. Yeah, go classic. I could like totally restore it! Then I began thinking more “practically” Maybe a Suburban or Jeep Wrangler (they are so versatile,…

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“Lyd! Wanna learn a new game?” “Sure!” “It’s called Uno. I played this game with Grandma when I was your age. The goal is to be the first to get down to one, or, Uno, card. Whoever does this first yells ‘Uno!’ and that player wins.” A few minutes later, my smile was a little strained. Lydia asked, “What does ‘+4’ mean?” (seriously?) “Well If you lay that one down, I have to draw four cards…and…you just put down a…

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