As we were lying in bed with Aura the other night, reading her some princess story or another, I couldn’t help but snort with derision. “Seriously?” I muttered to Adam. “Am I going to have to burn my bra before someone finally calls Gloria Steinem?” He shushed me and continued the tale, which, if I’m remembering correctly, involved frog [...]
We’ve recently had a few days of really warm weather. What better way was there to enjoy the heat than to hit the Great Outdoors? Well, not Great Outdoors as in a hike around a Great Trail, or a trip to a Great Beach. Not even Great as in a nice brisk stroll around the Great Block. [...]
In retrospect, I really should have known better. Aura has inherited a great many things from her father, including a love of coffee-flavored foodstuffs and an inclination to snicker at me when I am at my most threatening. She also shares his tendency to become completely and utterly submerged in the lyrics of a song. New songs, songs that especially strike their fancy, [...]
(This is Mall Mishaps #2, not to be confused with Mall Mishaps #1, re: the Whorehouse That is Build-a-Bear Workshop.) Last week, desperate to look at anything besides the deluge that had quickly become the Great Flood of 2010, Aura and I headed over to the mall, that bastion of rainy-day escape. We spent a good chunk [...]
Last Friday, I spent a large part of the evening manically cleaning the house. Adam followed me around, shaking his head in wonderment at my efforts. “Do you really think you need to wipe the mouldings?” he asked. “I doubt they’ll notice the dust, anyway.” I shook my own head, swiping at my sweaty brow with the clean (I think) end [...]
One afternoon not long ago, in a discount store not far away, Aura may have asked me to buy her the CraZCookn’ Marshmallow Maker, a foul toy that would surely produce foul creations, the likes of which would immediately inspire a Whole Foods employee to start rending his or her fair-trade garments. Fatigued by shopping and weak [...]
When we reluctantly moved to the suburbs in winter 2008, many of our still city-dwelling friends tried to comfort us. “Think of all the extra space!” they’d exclaim, patting our backs supportively. “Plus you’re only nine miles outside of Boston. It’s not like you’re in the boonies!” Adam and I would chuckle nervously. “Not the [...]
A month or so ago, Aura and I were rattling around the latest sale at Kohl’s. Painfully aware that my delicate underthings had lately been looking more threadbare than delicate, I directed Aura to follow me to the lingerie department, where I was determined I would find at least a couple of new bras. As I’ve mentioned before, Aura is [...]
Look what we finally got around to purchasing: Yes indeedy, a floor mirror. This purchase was actually a pretty big deal for us, considering that Adam and I have been cohabitating for almost 11 years and have never owned a full-length mirror. Well, technically, that’s not quite true. The first place we rented came with a full-length mirror on [...]
Aura and I went to the Museum of Science today, nipping into the dinosaur room about an hour into our visit. After one minute of standing and staring at a giant Triceratops skeleton, I found that I just couldn’t lie to myself any longer. “I’m seriously starting to doubt this dinosaur thing,” I whispered conspiratorially to Aura. And I really am. I’m sure [...]
