No See, Long Time

Yikes! Did you hear that scream? So sorry. That harrowing noise came from Green. And no, he didn't lose a limb. He and his brother made a "solar cooker" out of a cardboard box and tin foil. They decided this afternoon that they were going to saute some crab apples, uncut, soaked in half a bottle of vegetable oil. To make apple pie.



Needless to say, the project didn't work.

AND HE'S NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO COOK ANYTHING AGAIN! EVER! HIS WHOLE LIFE IS RUINED! AND HIS HANDS ARE OILY! VERY OILY! HOW CAN HE USE HIS HANDS NOW! THIS IS A DISASTER!

The irony of this episode of outdoor screaming is that I had just finished a long overdue blog post in which I discussed how much my kids have matured. I think I will tuck that one away for later.

I don't have a solid explanation for why I stopped writing. I suppose it was a combination of things. First, there's Facebook. You guys expect juicy essays from me, but Facebook? It just wants a sentence or two. Or a funny picture, like this:


I can be quick and thoughtless there, but this blog usually requires a day's labor. Michael says that I like "microblogging." I think I might just gravitate toward "easy."

The other problem I've encountered in my writing involves Blue and Green. Those cute kindergarten cherubs who liked penguins and Curious George are now official "big kids." And with that, it seems like there are some privacy issues or some lines that shouldn't be crossed. Plus, the things that used to be kind of funny, like a story about an epic hissy fit at the beach over ice cream, might not seem as charming if it's about an eight year old (or two). I feel like we're renegotiating our relationships, and it's awkward to do that in public. Or maybe I just haven't found the right words.

But here we are at the end of summer, and I do want to come back to this place. To YOU. Back-to-school time. Turning-over-a-new-leaf time. Special thanks go out to Sarah, who has reminded me that blog writing can be fun.

So here's what's in store for the next few weeks. You will journey with me as I try to find things for the boys to do during these final days of summer. We already have a line-up of doomed projects (cue the screaming). I know that some of you are cherishing these dwindling moments of summertime togetherness with your children. I, on the other hand, think that this much togetherness is overrated.
(Note the fancy hats. These were part of project #4556 this summer. They are already falling apart. Blue warned me that the only thing that will repair his work and SAVE HIS LIFE FROM BEING A TRAGEDY is the purchase of a hot glue gun. I suspect that he also plans to use the gun on his brother.)