TodsCircus

I’m a scrabble fanatic. It’s in my blood. Every family vacation, for as far back as I can remember, was filled with endless games of scrabble.
For some reason, the game has been reserved only for vacations and family get togethers. It’s just hard to squeeze a game in between dinner and [...]

I hate chain letters. And yet, I’m too superstitious to disregard them. It must be the threat of death, dismemberment and financial ruin that motivates me to action.
Having said that, I realize it’s odd that I would initiate my own chain letter of sorts.
You see, I was nominated for the 2010 Weblog Awards. [...]

In my quest for peace, sometimes I lose sight of the fact that I am the parent. I get to make the decisions.
As a peacemaker and pleaser, I have a hard time when someone is unhappy. I want to fix the problem. But with four kids, odds are, some one person will [...]

Belly laughs are hard to come by. Even a real, genuine laugh can be a precious commodity. But today, I enjoyed both.
The Clown came home from working out, and as he prepared to shower, got the ingenious idea to streak. Yes, streak.
It was just a quick lap around the house, [...]

This time of year, when the kids are preparing for their annual Christmas Pageants, I always remember the time our Strongman was in preschool and getting ready for his first pageant.
He knew it was an important event and that he would need to dress up for occasion. He was really excited.
When the time came [...]

Pomegranates are curious things. I discovered them when I was in eighth grade. Peeling back the skin, dissecting seeds and spitting them as far as I could. Inevitably my friends and I would return to class with little, red speckles and splatters all over our white uniform shirts. It didn’t take long [...]

I’ve lost count of the number of times that my kids have uttered these dreaded words.
Yet, this weekend, far, far away from home, away from all parental responsibilities, away from the cooking and cleaning and driving, away from the phone and computer, I, too, whispered those three little words.
And it was magical.
Because I can’t [...]

“This is my wish for you:
Comfort on difficult days,
Smiles when sadness intrudes,
Rainbows to follow the clouds,
Laughter to kiss your lips,
Sunsets to warm your heart,
Hugs when spirits sag,
Beauty for your eyes to see,
Friendships to brighten your being,
Faith so that you can believe,
Confidence for when you doubt,
Patience to accept the truth,
Courage to know yourself,
Love to complete your [...]

Today the Painted Lady had a volleyball game.  This is the fourth year that she and her classmates have played together.  Some of the girls have natural athletic abilities.  Others do not. Yet they all play together, side by side, as friends, as a team.

Today the team celebrated. It was the first time [...]

I had to clean out my purse today. I knew this was coming. Every time I set it on the passenger seat, the alarm would sound for me to buckle it in.

The loose change, found in the deep, dark abyss of my handbag could feed an orphan in Africa for at least a year.
[...]