Up The Irish

Today, in addition to making three dozen cupcakes and a loaf of banana bread, I am going to try my hand at Irish Soda Bread, in the festive spirit of the day.  I am also making kale chips and roasted asparagus, which count as festively Irish because of the green colour.  I am in general […]

It’s the least relevant day…of the year.

It’s Groundhog Day, or, as I like to call it, the least relevant day of the year if you live where I do. I don’t care what’s happening in the rest of the world – six more weeks of winter would be an early spring; we’ve been having unseasonably mild weather which makes me a […]

Post-Christmas Cleaning Binge

Did you have a good Christmas?  I’m relieved to tell you that Mark recovered enough to enjoy Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, although he was somewhat exhausted by yesterday evening – but then, shouldn’t we all be exhausted by then?  My mother mentioned yesterday that Mark is always sick at Christmas, which seemed incorrect to […]

"And they’re hanging their stockings," he snarled with a sneer…

Tomorrow is Christmas!  It’s practically here! We made it through the entire first term of school with no days lost due to illness; despite classmates being knocked down with strep and colds and stomach flues, my kids remained healthy, with only a few minor days of sniffles.  I know someone who takes full responsibility for […]

It’s Festivus Eve! Grievance time!

All this Christmas sentiment is getting to me, I thought.  Two nights ago, I became increasingly irritable throughout the evening; everything was getting under my skin.  My husband was, I thought, an unbearable asshole and the kids were insane, obnoxious, and loud.  I crabbed around the house then said, at 7:45, that I was going to […]

Santa’s coming! Santa! I know him!

True confessions: I have never taken my children to a mall to “meet Santa”.  I’m going to really put myself out there for a moment and say that it has always seemed a little skeevy to me, to set my babies on this dressed-up stranger’s lap, this stranger masquerading as Santa, only to have them […]

Don’t throw me down, Clark! Is your house on fire, Clark? Oh. That was fun. I love riding in cars.

It is ONE WEEK until Christmas and the mood around here is a mix of mellow and excited.  Yesterday was our open house and – although the basement looked like a Lego bomb went off and also like twenty-five children dropped crackers on the carpet and then stepped on them vigourously, which is probably exactly […]