After we moved to Florida in July, we discovered alligators living in the canal in our backyard, which was pretty cool and not totally unexpected. We've seen alligators off and on since then - infrequently enough that we all still come running when somebody yells, "Gator!" We give them a wide berth, however, because it's illegal to "molest" the gators and we don't want them to get too comfortable with humans... …
Max (age 9) and Mason (age 5), who are homeschooled, started their new school year on Monday and we are having SO much fun! While they learn traditional subjects, we try to make their lessons more fun by ensuring they revolve around a central theme each week - something they are very interested in. This week, it's sharks! Ever since we moved to Florida, they've been wanting to go shark fishing and they've been watching endless shark nature videos on YouTube and Netflix. Richard even rented Jaws and Jaws 2 for Max and I watched those with him last week, which was a hoot. At one point, Max asked, "Why did guys wear such short shorts back then..." …
After spending so much time sifting through and then discarding or packing all our belongings during the move, I told the kids we are going to stop buying them so much "stuff." I'd prefer to spend our money on memories (like day-trips, fishing, snorkeling - that sort of thing) than on material objects they're just going to throw away in a few months anyway. So, for Frank's 19th birthday, I sent him the link to a website showing hundreds of fun things to do in Florida... …
Frank, who turns 19 next week, is enrolled in a Florida college now, and is scheduled to attend his orientation next week. He is very excited and so are we! …
We're just renting for a year while we look for a place to buy so it's not really "our" new home but it sure feels like it after just three weeks! We're in a very quiet neighborhood that is only 10 minutes from the grocery store but about 25 minutes from the mall area...so, according to the post office, we're considered "rural"... …
Today's post is brutally honest. I hope, after reading this, you'll understand my need to share our experience. Did you ever make a parenting mistake so severe that it still makes you cry when you think about it? I made one such horrible mistake two weeks ago... …
We had an adventure on Sunday with a creepy crawly. We were at the gas station and Max, Mason and I were waiting while Richard was pumping gas. Max suddenly shrieked, "Tarantula!" …
We made it to Florida...four days early! After all the mechanical problems we had in the RV last week, we decided to get down as here as soon as we could, driving many more hours per day than we originally planned... …
Howdy, everybody! Today's issue is extremely abbreviated. We are on the road right now, moving from Maine to Florida, and we're experiencing a few, um, delays. We got separated yesterday and it took a couple of hours to get back together because one of us (okay...me) had driven 50 miles past our campground. We had to stay at another campground that was pretty far off the beaten path. Last night, I heard a funny noise and discovered the cat halfway out the bathroom window in the RV. Ack! I saved him and nobody has yet confessed to leaving that window open. While leaving that campground this morning on a dirt road, we got a flat tire, but didn't realize it until we were on the highway and the RV starting jumping around like a bounce house ride, emitting a strong burnt rubber smell. We managed to crawl to a service station for a new tire but then the hydraulic jacks froze up while we were there. That's where we are right now. Needless to say, we're starting to feel like we're filming The Griswold Family's Cross Country Move. :) So, we have only a couple of goodies for you today. …
As I wrote last week, cleaning out every room and closet in the house, and getting rid of so much stuff, has been incredibly therapeutic. However, I had no idea how good it would feel to watch complete strangers walk away with our old stuff, and have them all hand us money for it to boot! …
I'm not very popular at the "home office" right now. I told all the kids and Richard that, when we move to Florida, we are NOT moving all that food from the pantry. We are eating it before we leave. That also means no pizza delivery. Each night since then has been "fend for yourself night" at dinnertime and the pantry has gotten so depleted that we actually needed to go to the store yesterday... …
With a boy as adventurous and energetic as Mason, who will be 5 years old this month, it was only a matter of time before his never ending bouncing and running led to a BIG boo boo... …
Frank graduated with honor from high school last weekend. We are soooooo proud of him! He'll be starting his college career in the Fall. Since he now plans to become a doctor, it'll be a long college career... …
Only a month after our last snow, it got into the 80s here on Memorial Day so Frank ran to the store for a kiddie pool for the little ones. Boy oh boy, were they happy!! …
Last Saturday, I held fast to a pile of tissues while we sat the nosebleed section of the civic center, watching our two oldest children graduate from college... …
My mom, who lives in Texas, sent me a picture of her pond last week. It's almost gone, looking more like a large mud puddle than a sanctuary for sweaty farm animals. It's certainly not something their horses or even the local deer will be able to drink from much longer. In Maine, we have quite the opposite problem. Farmers are worried their crops will be ruined by all the rain we've been having. Whenever the sun does manage to peek out, we rush the children outside for some much-needed fresh air and Vitamin D, knowing they'll be stuck inside for days on end once another band of clouds approaches. The current forecast is another 10 days of rain...and the forecast only goes out that far so there could be more... …
I wanted to thank everyone who wrote in with opinions on safe (and unsafe) cities in Florida! I've made a list of the recommended city names that were sent in... …
A month ago, I wrote that we were considering becoming snowbirds, traveling to Florida in the winter. We are now seriously considering relocating to Florida and then RVing to the Northeast during the hot summer months. Why? Maine is absolutely gorgeous and we love it here. Unfortunately, the income taxes are ridiculous. Add in Maine's death tax (which can destroy a small family business), and the fact that Frank is graduating from high school next month, and it sure seems all signs are telling us to become backwards snowbirds... …
M's surgery was last Wednesday. He is recovering comfortably at our home. The first thing the surgeon (M's new orthopedist) said after the surgery was, "I sure wish I'd seen him two months ago. I could have done more for him." …
I'm writing this on Tuesday afternoon. M's surgery is tomorrow. If all goes well, he should be released sometime later that afternoon. We're going to head back to Bangor immediately while he's still a bit woozy from the anesthesia. You see, at this time of year in Maine, the results of the frost heave are quite evident. There are huge cracks and potholes everywhere, making for a very bumpy ride. When we lived in Texas, we didn't have frost heave and I thought the term referred to men up north who drank too much on cold nights. Anyway, if we get a hotel room after the surgery, not only would M have to navigate his walker on sidewalks and in the hotel lobby and hallways, but he would also feel the bumps in the road far more the following day. Ali is driving in tonight from Bangor after she finishes her last class. Richard will stay in the hotel room tomorrow with Max and Mason while Ali and I sit nervously in the surgical waiting room at the hospital. M is, understandably, very nervous. He's never had surgery before. I told him it'll be a breeze. The doctors and nurses have to do all the work, the family has to wait and worry for hours, and he just gets to sleep. ;) This Week's Masonism: "Mom, I'm almost five. I need a job." Hugs to all Angela …
It's definitely the flu season here. My neighbor said a local retirement home was discouraging visitors last week because so many of their residents were ill. Richard caught something last week, and then Mason got it, and then Max, and now me. I was sick two months ago and I coughed for so long (6 weeks) that they sent me for a chest xray, and put me on an inhaler. I tell ya, 10 days on that inhaler did the trick! However, I finished the inhaler just a week ago and now I'm sick again. Oh joy. …
Last Friday, on April Fool's Day, we got another 14 1/2 inches of snow. Sure, I go on and on about the glorious snow around Christmastime but it gets REALLY OLD this time of year! While my friends down south are talking about planting their gardens, we're still dodging falling icicles... …
Only a month ago, I told you about Mason (age 4) logging into ebay.com and buying stuffed animals for himself. Just last week, I told you about Mason terrifying us when he hid under the kitchen table, resulting in a phone call to 9-1-1. I probably should have given birth to this one when I was MUCH YOUNGER! Anyway, Mason doesn't yet *appear* to understand the concept of money, or buying, or anything like that. However, I think he may be practicing selective comprehension because he definitely does understand which buttons he needs to push on an iPad or iPhone with the end result being the mailman delivering a box to him... …
Last Friday, it was 60 degrees here in Bangor, Maine, the warmest day we've had in four or five months. Despite the mud, all the kids went outside to play, including our adult kiddos. I was working in the living room on my laptop, and getting quite a bit done due to the quiet, when Max (age 9) ran in and said, "Is Mason in here?" "WHAT?!" I squawked. "NO! WHERE IS HE?!" Max said, "We don't know!"... …
As most of you know, our daughter and her boyfriend were in a head-on collision a month ago. For their privacy, I am referring to them as "A" and "M" when writing about the accident. The last installment of the story is HERE. We have been quickly losing confidence in A and M's orthopedist (Ortho #1), and desperately trying to get a new orthopedist (Ortho #2). Over the past month, Ortho #1 has told us she did not need surgery, she might need surgery, and, most recently (seven days prior), that it was too late for surgery. This past Monday, he scheduled a surgery date for her... …
As most of you know, our daughter and her boyfriend were in a head-on collision three weeks ago. For their privacy, I am referring to them as "A" and "M" when writing about the accident... …
I received an email the other day that I suspected was an error. It was an invoice for a purchase made on my eBay account. I logged into my account and discovered it was not an error after all. Our youngest son, Mason (age 4), LOVES Shrek and the invoice was for a 27-inch stuffed Shrek doll... …
In case you missed it, last week we only published a News From the Home Office column because our daughter and her boyfriend were in a head-on collision. You can read the story HERE. I am once again not publishing their names for their own privacy. A's boyfriend, M, has more extensive injuries, with the broken foot, ankle, and ribs... …
Our daughter and her boyfriend were in a head-on collision on Monday night. They are expected to recover but we have been in the hospital with them all week. I have changed their names below for their own privacy.…
Early Monday morning, our dog, Percy, started screaming. Ali and I both heard the racket and followed his yelps to the boys' room... …
Poor Zach (age 24) developed a toothache last week. We took him to our dentist, who said all his wisdom teeth needed to come out... …
Being stuck in the "home office" for weeks at a time during Maine's harsh winters can be pretty...depressing. On Sunday night, we were under a wind chill advisory, with the "chills" dipping to -30 to -40 F... …
We received another 6 inches of snow last week and we're supposed to get a small ice storm tonight. Ug... …
We love snow around Christmastime but, once January's frigid temperatures set in and we are all homebound for weeks on end, the snow starts to get old really fast... …
We all recovered from the Christmas Stomach Bug. All but four of us caught it by the time if flew from our house and, undoubtedly, into somebody else's. This week, I wanted to show the you gift I needle felted for my mom for Christmas. I couldn't show it to you until now because she'd have definitely peeked... …
Caleb was sick on the 23rd with a stomach bug. I obsessively santized the house and, over and over again, but to no avail. Max woke up with it on Christmas morning. I took pictures of him opening his presents in bed. By mid-afternoon, Frank was sick and Rita and I succumbed by bedtime. On Sunday night, Zach was down for the count and Kimia (Caleb's girlfriend) sent me a text that she had it as well. Nobody has gotten sick since then so we are hoping everybody else in the house is immune. We had to postpone our Boxing Day party, of course. As I'm typing this on Monday, we are getting the big blizzard that's all over the news (14 inches by noon) and Ali is cooking a gourment meal for us in the kitchen while the adults are watching comedies in the living room, next to the Christmas tree. The Boxing Day party will be tomorrow and we're looking forward to a rip-roarin' good time! This week's Maxism: "Does Santa put hidden cameras in kids' rooms to see if they're naughty or nice?" Hugs to all! Angela …
As I am writing this while sitting next to our Christmas tree, Ali (a Culinary Arts major) is in the kitchen making Chili Candied Nuts, Peppermint Bark and Chocolate Chip Cookies. I'm going to need pants with an elastic waist after this week! (Oh, wait...I'm already wearing some...) We're supposed to have a snowstorm on Wednesday and Richard's dad and step-mom are arriving on Thursday night. We really need that snow because the children are SO excited about taking Grampa and Rita sledding! We will have almost 20 people here on Christmas and our living room will be bursting. We are all soooo excited! I have a Masonism for you this week. Mason started having a fit in the bathroom the other day because he saw a fly there (he is terrified of flies). Having been down this road before, I went into the bathroom to conquer the big, bad bug. I looked high and low, but didn't see a fly while Mason kept pointing and saying, "He's over there! He's over there!!" While I was looking, I noticed the dog's water bowl was running low so I started filling it up in the sink. Mason shrieked, "Why are you making him a pool?!" We want to wish all of you a very peaceful, loving and FUN Christmas and Kwanzaa! :) Hugs to all! Angela, Richard and the entire WritersWeekly clan …
Our daughter, Ali, has always helped me with the wrapping at Christmastime. However, she's double-majoring AND in the middle of finals so she isn't really available right now. So, I've been spending any spare moment I can sorting gifts (out-of-town vs. other) and wrapping... …
I've been spending my evenings painstakingly uploading more than 400 photos to Qoop.com, where I order our family photo books each year. After I upload, I must then type captions underneath each one and I try to be a bit witty...on a few of them at least. Those photo books can be pretty expensive (more than $25 each) but the grandparents sure seem to like 'em. I've also been working on a homemade gift for my mother. I won't be able to tell you what it is until after the holidays because she makes weekly comments about WritersWeekly. I figure that means she reads it. I've posted articles in the past about inexpensive holiday gifts you can make at home. If you're interested, see THIS LINK. I have a Masonism for you this week. This morning, Mason (age 4) hollered at me from the bathroom, "Mommy! I can make pee bubbles!" Hugs to all! Angela …
We pulled the decorations out of the basement on Friday and, by Sunday night, everything was up, including the tree and the outdoor lights. I always forget how which cords go with which lighted wreath outside so the puzzle must be re-solved year after year. And, each year, I swear I'm going to label those suckers... …
Today, we are thankful for each of you, our readers. It's a true blessing to have so many online friends. I enjoy the friendships and the comaraderie we all share and it's comforting to know that, if I need anything at all, I can fire off an email to my online friends, and receive an almost instant reply! So, thank YOU!!! :) …
In order to more enjoy my December, I have decided to try to get my shopping done earlier this year. Last Sunday, I spent the entire day on my laptop, shopping online. I try to buy non-China-made items whenever I can and I also try to support artists. …
I woke up last night because Zach, our oldest, had the TV on too loud downstairs. I didn't want to wake up the little ones so I didn't run on the front hall light as I headed for the stairs, intent on reprimanding Zach. I was walking down the stairs in the dark and, in a flash, heard a loud "MEOW!!!"... …
The nice thing about this time of year is that there's always something to look forward to when something else has ended. On Sunday night, the boys were sad at bedtime because Halloween was over. I reminded them that Thanksgiving is right around the corner and, after that, Christmas will be upon us as well. When I asked if they wanted to help me make a funny turkey yard decoration for Thanksgiving, they were all smiles again... …
Awhile back, I was posting weekly pictures of our pumpkins, Monster, Half-Pint, Tiny and Punk. Last Sunday, with tears, Max harvested three of his four pumpkins. Surprisingly, Punk (the orange wart pumpkin) is still on a live vine. The three white pumpkins were on dried vines, and starting to attract slugs. The four pumpkins are the biggest we've ever grown and they are now being proudly displayed by Max in our living room. He does NOT want to carve them, however. He wants to go to a local farm and buy pumpkins for carving. He can't bear to cut into his babies. Isn't that sweet? :) Here's Max with three of his babies. Below that is a picture of Punk.
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