Monday was errand day at The Circus.  We piled into the van, each with our own vision of the hours ahead.  Riley sees shopping as an opportunity.  At Mom and Dad’s, Aunt Mo and I heard her singing her own version of A Whole New World.  It went something like: A whole new world…I can […]

We just got home from a full and wonderful weekend at Mom and Dad’s celebrating our second Christmas with the Killen part of our family.  Have you ever noticed that extended family weekends are more like an interesting journey than anything anyone could blandly call “a visit?”  Our weekend couldn’t even be described as a […]

Every year since I was 3, I’ve gone on a Christmas dinner date with my dad. It’s been a special time for us. We dress up just a little bit, do some Christmas shopping together, and pick a favorite restaurant for dinner. I think it’s fair to say that both of us cherish the real […]

I love family movie night! This past week, we watched Kung Fu Panda with Adam and Zoe. Since Adam is notorious for scripting movies he loves (and forgetting to talk to the rest of us), we have made some serious rules at our house about watching television. The kids really don’t have a lot of […]

On Saturday afternoon, I hit a wall. Not literally. 🙂 After Mom and Dad left with Riley, I felt too tired to think, much less write. Kevin is so good at reading my face that he took one look into my eyes and suggested that I cease all the straightening up I was doing in […]

Saturday morning, Mom and Dad headed back home to Edisto with Riley in tow. Once a year, each of our children is blessed with the opportunity to spend their own solo week at Mom and Dad’s house. The December-January track out is always “Riley’s turn” to be on her own with Grandma and Papa. She […]

Did you know that Barbie loves Cyndi Lauper songs? For the last three days, we have all been in various stages of humming, singing, or dancing to I come home in the morning light My mother says when you gonna live your life right Oh mother dear we’re not the fortunate ones And girls they […]

On Christmas Eve, we have always opened one gift before bedtime—just a little something to whet the appetite for Christmas Day. Growing up, this delicious paper-tearing kept me awake for an hour or more after Dad tucked me into bed. Mom always had just the right gift in mind, something in the middle of the […]

Happy Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving week. For an entire week, I fall pensive about the things for which I am thankful. I realize how truly blessed I am and how much joy I have to spread. I feel a bit like the leper who stopped mid-run and turned around to go back and say thank […]

“Mom, what’s Daddy gonna be for Halloween?” It was Zoe’s question. “I don’ t know, Honey, but he did say he wanted to be something funny.” Zoe paused to consider this. “Mom? Is Daddy gonna be a banana? That would be funny.” Some of you will remember that last year, there was a big campaign […]