We moved into the only house we’ve ever owned in May of 1998. Noah was 11 months old. When I walked into this house, I immediately could imagine where the Christmas tree would go. With almost zero knowledge of what raising a family and nurturing a marriage would look like, I immediately felt like I…
Off and on since we got our vaccines in the spring, I have wondered about COVID keeps — things I enjoyed about our weird year. I’ve wondered what I want to bring back (which is so many things) and what I want to let go (which is surprisingly also so many things). The no-guilt permission…
When I look back at photos from last November, it almost looks like a movie I watched. One I know I’ve seen but I can’t remember the details (my husband will tell you this is a common occurrence). Then someone says one little thing that brings it all rushing back. That little thing was my…
The last time my mom was with us for Thanksgiving, in 2015, these things were true: • Noah was home for the first time since starting college in Brooklyn. (Now he’s a 24-year-old college graduate with his own business.) • Sawyer wasn’t old enough to drive. (Now he’s 21 and going to college in New…
I’ve had many battles with my kids in our 24 and 21 years together. Two stand out, probably because there is photographic evidence. In the fall of 2010, we went to Austin to see Clyde’s alma mater (the Texas Longhorns) play my alma mater (the Baylor Bears). I’d been a huge football fan when I…
My husband and I are traveling to California this week. He’s coming back Saturday, the Eve of All Hallows’ Eve, but I’m staying until Monday to visit a friend. Our neighborhood is lively with trick-or-treaters so I asked him a couple of weeks ago if he wanted me to do the usual porch decor and…
Dawn McMullan 