Tales of the Ordinary Days

The many dirty face of Baby Grant I was reminded yesterday of the smelliness of raising three boys. Summer is especially a heat-filled bonus of odors to fill the nose. "Who didn't put their dirty clothes in the laundry room?" is a typical accusation as I rummage through forgotten gym bags thrown on bedroom floors. I am certain I will find a sweaty shirt from football camp smoldering in a zipped knapsack. My nose has expert instincts. Twenty-one years with a house full of boys has been a prelude to this perfection. Although hygiene did improve with every year they grew, the smells would change. I would categorize them as worse with changing body mass which resulted in increased ability to sweat in buckets. Yesterday Grant hopped in my car for a ride to lacrosse. My nose immediately went into full alert. There was clearly an issue. "Is your shirt clean? The socks! Yes, it has to be the socks. Have you changed them today? Maybe you should spray on some Fa-...

We had an unexpected surprise this morning. And not in a good way. Zach was the victim of a hit-and-run. Not something we expected as we hustled out the door in the wee hours for Lily's track meet. This morning was an exercise in family divide-and-conquer. Garrett and Jake to rugby as Zach, Lily and I simultaneously loaded up for track. As I tried to open the passenger door, I was surprised with resistance. It wouldn't open. Upon further review I saw a bashed-in front quarter panel. The look on Zach's face, following my revelation, was one of shock and complete disappointment. Since we needed to get Lily across town, I proceeded to pour myself next to Lily into the back seat. A non-functioning front door turned Zach into our chauffeur. It didn't seem to bother Zach, as his main concern was figuring out where and when the incident happened and how he was going to fix it. Not his best of mornings. I spent the drive doing my typical explaining of how "it coul...

My very own garden patch When I met my business partner two years ago, I knew from the beginning we were on the same page. Sharing the same work ethic and understanding of all that was right and wrong in healthcare, we understood that change was due and were collectively up for the challenge. Our business languages were aligned. But although comfortable in my existence in the consulting world, I was intrigued at the business prospect of our working together. I plodded along, charging my hourly consulting rates and questioning my next steps. And then one quiet summer afternoon, Fergus shared with me his life quote. What he stood for. What he wanted on his grave stone. Any doubt I had went away. We shared the same motto. The one that I recited on my most difficult days and on my best days. "To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To ...

Salute! I love my husband. A lot. My better half. Today he turned 49 and tonight we celebrated with our friends. My heart warms for the cheers we had and the smiles we shared. I have been known to sugar-coat things. And today was no exception. Daily life comes with adversity, but it really is so much better when you forge forward through the not-so-great with those you love. And a cup half full is always superior to the half empty counterpart. So my better half and I forged forward as a team. One in combination. A great duo. We survived our hectic day to a little surprise party for Garrett's b-day to close the night. As suspected, he wasn't as surprised as I would have liked, but the end result was just as good. Tables full of friends. Cheers. A good life. And then we went home to what we thought would be a childless home. Instead Ben and his girlfriend, Lauren, were busy making Ben's sack lunch for his next day at work. Ben started Garrett's day with an...

Tonight we had tickets to The Fray. The outdoor concert was to be at Red Rocks Amphitheater. This much-anticipated event would have been Jake's first concert and Zach's first Red Rocks experience. Garrett's friend, Gustavo, was in town from DC and was to join us as well. But it wasn't meant to be. Gustavo evacuated early and the kids are instead watching Harry Potter in the basement. Our visions of a beautiful June night in the Rockies were rained on. In fact, they were poured on. The term "rain, rain, go away" couldn't be more prevalent in my life right now. I think the black clouds are following me. We were rained out from Red Rocks tonight. Working backwards, we were rained in to Chicago last Monday with storms closing the Omaha airport. And Mexico was more rain and clouds than the anticipated vacation sunshine. But such is life. And life is still sunny, regardless of the rain. Zach has comfortably moved into his new Colorado home. He and h...