Raise your hand if you ever envied your sick child’s excused day of lying on the sofa watching cartoons and napping. OK, so I’m the only one? No? You say you have felt that way, too? You have been burning the candle at both ends until there’s no wick left and you still haven’t found … Continue reading Sick day
Tag: Carlton
Little gym, big gym
Last Saturday Carlton and our family and friends celebrated his fourth birthday at The Little Gym in Snellville. Though Carlton only took classes there for six weeks, he often asks to go back. The birthday party was the perfect excuse. The folks at The Little Gym were organized, well-staffed, professional but personal, and they made … Continue reading Little gym, big gym
County fare
Last Friday night we loaded up the minivan and headed to Lawrenceville for the Gwinnett County Fair. We hadn't been in several years, and we were overdue for a family outing. This one fit the bill nicely. I prefer my fairs a little later in the fall -- call it a habit formed by 10 … Continue reading County fare
In search of the moment
As temperatures rose into the upper 80s, I packed the minivan for a three-night campout at Black Rock Mountain State Park just north of Clayton. With sweat running down my forehead and my patience waning, Carlton and Harris sat in their seats too eager to get underway to heed my repeated instructions to stay out … Continue reading In search of the moment
Connecting with the past
When we hit the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge from Charleston into Mount Pleasant the boys stopped watching Harry Potter on our minivan’s built-in DVD player. From the span over the Cooper River we could see the U.S.S. Yorktown, parked at Patriots Point. It would be our home for a night, and it was lit impressively, … Continue reading Connecting with the past
The Power of Pine
For the last five years, I’ve spent one Saturday in January at a unique sporting event that induces anxiety, quickens the pulse and triggers a few tears. Of course I’m talking about the annual Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. This anachronistic competition is a throw-back to the days when kids made their own toys out of what … Continue reading The Power of Pine
Time passes one brick at a time
Yesterday we took the boys to the new Legoland Florida theme park. The boys had an amazing day, judging by their smiles, laughter and my over-exuberant uploading of photos to Facebook. Carla and I couldn’t help but reflect on our two previous visits to that property, each in a very different set of circumstances. Before … Continue reading Time passes one brick at a time
With every Christmas card I write
Even before my children start their annual greed lists, my wife begins a months-long odyssey of creating the perfect family image to send to loved ones at Christmas. What some people dismiss as an antiquated practice involving such archaic institutions as the U.S. Postal Service, sending Christmas cards is the apogee of the season for … Continue reading With every Christmas card I write
A foot in two states
Heavy clouds and the threat of rain couldn’t dampen our enthusiasm for a trip on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway last Monday for Carlton’s third birthday. For weeks leading up to the big event, I felt pangs of sentimentality about my youngest son following the same journey as his brothers from toddlerhood to full blown … Continue reading A foot in two states
New South Essays 