7 Quick Takes

Seven Quick Takes

/ CAstfalk / 2 Comments

7 Quick Takes

Stuff We’ve Been Up To Edition

As summer vacation winds to hot, muggy close, I’ve lost the ability to create a cohesive theme. This is stuff we’ve been doing, things pulling me in different directions as we try to savor summer.

–1–

The Mobile Drive-In

Our township has been doing these drive-in movies at the park for several summers. Until last week, the timing and the chosen movie never worked for us. Friday night, I took my kids and one of their friends to see The Peanuts Movie (truly a great little movie) at our park. Our arrival was somewhat delayed by our inability to find where my husband hid our camp chairs, but arrive we did. The whole atmosphere was fun. The park at night, the families, the free Twizzlers handed out. Just as the movie was about to begin, the entire screen deflated. It was a full hour and several attempts at re-inflating and restarting the movie until we began. By 9:30 p.m., most of the little kids present were probably ordinarily asleep, but here we were just getting started. All in my party agreed we’d do it again IF it started on time.

mobile drive-in

Moments before the epic deflation.

Continue reading →

Seven Quick Takes

/ CAstfalk / 4 Comments

7 Quick Takes

Gettysburg Edition

We spent several hours last weekend in Gettysburg. It’s one of my favorite places, so much so that I set my novel Stay With Me there. As many times as we’ve visited, I know I haven’t scratched the surface of the many things to see and do there. A quaint town, steeped in history and tragedy, it’s blanketed in a palpable gravitas that is hard to describe. And yet, it’s also fun. Here are seven of my favorite places to go, things to do if  you visit Gettysburg – and I recommend that you do. Continue reading →

Seven Quick Takes

/ CAstfalk / 4 Comments

Seven Quick Takes Friday

Child-Wrangling Olympics Edition

Promotions for the upcoming Summer Olympics are beginning to appear, and while some may be excited for the return of golf to the worldwide sporting events, I’ve noted the gaping chasm where parental competition should be. Let’s face it, most of us slogging through day jobs, home maintenance, and child rearing have little time or energy left for Olympic-caliber competition. Schlepping through the grocery store and scrubbing the toilet are taxing enough. Sadly, our society ignores the skills honed during those years when mothers and fathers nurture and safeguard their wily, wiry offspring on minimal sleep and some combination of coffee, wine, and adrenaline bursts. Should parenting be incorporated into the next Olympics, these are my recommended events. (This post enhanced by simultaneously listening to the Chariots of Fire theme music.) Continue reading →

Seven Quick Takes

/ CAstfalk / 4 Comments

Seven Quick Takes Friday

Surviving Busy Sports Seasons Edition

This may be the most advice-y thing I’ve written, which is funny considering how we scramble to keep things together this time of year. These are things I’ve noticed work for our family when I do them. They may or may not be of any use to you. You may sit down to a gourmet meal together with ample time for travel and arrive at your activities on time. (And if so, I may wonder if you possess alien DNA.) Continue reading →

Seven Quick Takes Friday

/ CAstfalk / 10 Comments

Seven Quick Takes Friday

Slacker Mom Edition

Since I’ve gone from one kid to four, I’ve slacked in a multitude of ways. Obviously, the number of small people for whose welfare I’m responsible for has something to do with it. There’s also the fact that we’ve got a mix of genders and ages, ratcheting up the variety of interests and activities. Not to mention I’m old and tired.

The fact is, you cannot parent two children the same way. They may have the same parents, genes, and home, but their birth order is different. In some ways, being the mom of one or two is a different animal than parenting three or more. (It’s also easier in my opinion.) The kids have built-in playmates and companions and demand less individual attention. The best analogy my weary brain can come up with is mom’s role shifting from instructor to conductor.

(Just to be clear, these are the MOTHERING areas in which I’ve slacked. I’ve slacked in many other ways as well, but I prefer to maintain an aura of mystique around at least some of my shortcomings.) Continue reading →

Seven Quick Takes Friday

/ CAstfalk / Leave a comment

Seven Quick Takes Friday

Girls Road Trip Edition

–1–

I did something I’ve never done before – gone away overnight with only my girls. I borrowed an electronic audiobook from the library for this trip and was able to listen to most of it on the way to our destination and back, either with the girls or while they watched a movie. I seldom listen to audiobooks because never-ending interruptions require constant, clumsy backing up and repeating on my iPod Nano. I’m still not sure whether audiobooks enhance or diminish my enjoyment of novels (I tend to prefer to listen to nonfiction books).

This particular story was narrated by a woman, but only one of the main characters was female – a Southerner. Nearly all the other characters were male, a few Southern, but most from a fictional European island in the North Sea. For those, she adopted a quasi-British, snooty-sounding accent. While the quality of the writing and the narration were both very good, I was underwhelmed by the story and never connected with any of the characters, most of whom bordered on unlikable. Was it the book? The narration? Both? What do you think of audiobook adaptions of fiction?

Audiobook

Flickr photo by Nicola Einarson. Some rights reserved. http://bit.ly/1AeTnzv

Continue reading →

Seven Quick Takes Friday

/ CAstfalk / 6 Comments

Seven Quick Takes Friday

Busy and Disjointed, Just Like Life

–1–

This is a crazy time of year! We’ve been outside for softball and baseball games in all sorts of bizarre weather. Add to those games and practices: Boy Scouts, ballet, talent show practice, altar serving, library story times, and a bevy of forms that came at me for class pictures, yearbooks, and other stuff I’ve since forgotten, and it’s a wild ride. Luckily, the beautiful sunshine has energized me.

Crazy Calendar

Crazy Calendar. Most days say: 2 more, 3 more or even 4 more where our daily activities can’t fit into the allotted square.

Continue reading →