13

Reagan is 13 years old today. With a late summer birthday, she’s about the last of her friends to become a teenager so I’ve had time to ease into the idea. I think I like it. One day in, she’s still funny and engaging and generally delightful. Unfortunately, she is also sick. She slept on the bathroom floor last night because she was barfing. In case you hadn’t noticed, my kids celebrate special occasions by throwing up.

We did have a very good time before she got sick. My long-time friend, Christine, has a daughter Reagan’s age who happens to be her very best friend for 13 years. Christine and I took the girls to the mall where they studiously avoided us for three hours before we all met up at

The Melting Pot

for dinner. It was the girls’ first fondue experience but Reagan was starting to feel queasy, though she was fighting it hard, and I don’t think she enjoyed it as much as she could have. I did though. What is not to love about pots of melted cheese and chocolate?

Earlier in the week, I took my three kids to my parents’ lake house to hang out with my dad. It was great to get away and just enjoy sun and sand and water for a few days. We rode the boat and the kids played endlessly in the water. Also, I took them into the small town nearby to see

Wall-E

(SUCH a dumb, boring movie but the kids liked it. ) and it only cost $17 for all four of us to see a movie - at night. I love small towns.

My dad is a high school track coach and he just happened to have some hurdles with him. The only really strange thing about that is that I don’t find it strange. Doesn’t everyone have shot puts in their garage? Aren’t pre-wrap and athletic tape standard medicine cabinet items? I have been raised to believe these are normal things. But I digress. Again.

So my dad had hurdles. This was great because he took Reagan out and showed her how to run them. Last spring, Reagan’s track coaches gave her this advice about hurdles: “Run fast. Try not to hit them.” Then they sat them up

backwards

and let the kids figure it out on their own. It made me crazy. So in two, half-hour sessions with her grandpa, Reagan made a lot of progress.

I put other pictures up

On the Fridge.

Also, take a look at new recipes

In the Fridge.