Archive | May, 2010
May 16, 2010 By

Pooch-proof Your Petunias

Want to stop the pup from chewing on your favorite flowers? Sprinkle them with cayenne pepper. This sneezy spice acts as a repellant for dogs — and may other mammals, too.

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May 13, 2010 By

So She Pokes an Eye Out

I’m not much of a hoverer. Yes, I’d place my body between my child and an angry bear, but will I hoist my considerable behind up the climbing structure at the local indoor gym? Nay. I shall instead hover with the other hands-off moms on the bleachers, and gossip with my peers. If it was the 1970s I’d be lighting up an Old Gold, too. But those days are past, and the only vice I engage in is a good (...Read More)

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Water, Water Everywhere. And Not a Drop to Drink.

May 10, 2010 By

This past weekend, 38 communities in the Boston metropolitan areas were hit with a boil water advisory.  The reason is too complicated to explain, but the outcome was a full out “aquapocolypse”.  You couldn’t drink or brush your teeth with the water, but you could bathe and put out fires with it.  That’s refreshingly straightforward, right?  Not for this mom, who lives comfortably in her suburb, where she is relatively unscathed by natural disasters. The call came in while I (...Read More)

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The Military Curse and How an Army Mom Loses Her Marbles While Hubby’s Away

May 6, 2010 By

“What’s that smell?” My oldest asks, just as it assaulted my nostrils, ninja-kicking my gag reflex. I tried to blame it on the van in front of us, but it did smell just a little too much like “fresh” gasoline – you know, like when it splashes out of the hose and onto your shoes at the pump. Only, we weren’t anywhere near a gas pump – or station for that matter. While the smell soon dissipated, the worry did (...Read More)

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May 3, 2010 By

Where’s Driver Ed When You Need Him?

Six months ago, Jay got her permit and between that permit and an actual license were 50 hours of required practice driving time—with me. I should tell you that I’m not patient and I’m at the high end of high strung, so the thought of 50 hours strapped into the passenger seat coaching my Student Driver scared me. (How many therapy sessions might these 50 hours cost Jay later?) The first few weeks of practice went beautifully. At my request, (...Read More)

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