Bored with the monotony of November, the Pickwicks decided to take the week off and have a vacation. Nothing but lazing about, drinking tea, and losing the thermometer and every bottle of cold medicine in the house every four to six hours, round the clock. The problem with the entire family being simultaneously struck down… Continue reading One Crazy Turkey
Mrs. Pickwick slipped into the mall, feeling a bit like a bandit, but also delightfully incognito, and strangely fearless behind her mask. She was just another anonymous customer in a blue gingham dress and Edwardian hairstyle popping into the local beauty supply store. No one ever need know who exactly Took Up Space and Asked… Continue reading Mrs Pickwick Prepares for a New Kind of Battle
Grocery shopping at the local “scratch ‘n dent” deli is always an adventure. One never knows what treasures one will find. This week, Mrs P was met by an unprecedented sight: giant half-gallon glass jars of pickles were only $2.25!! Mrs P could hardly contain her excitement as she gazed at the beautiful shelf of… Continue reading In a bit of a Pickwickle
Leftover waffles are a rare treat in the Pickwickian kitchen. When the freezer boasts such a felicitous breakfast option, it is what is generally considered a win-win situation. Mrs P is delighted to sip her coffee in the other room while the Blessings are delighted to toast something even more exciting than toast with minimal… Continue reading Waffling One’s Way to World Dominion
Mrs Pickwick scored a small victory in the kitchen this morning. Even before fortifying herself with coffee, she captured and then perfectly sliced a mango! Just look at this lovely unmangled mango. Usually, even if her technique is perfect, the mango is mushy because she was saving it for just the right day. Also, to… Continue reading Any Way You Slice It
Mrs. Pickwick has been nagging the children to pick up their things since the dawn of time. She has generously provided hooks, cubbies, baskets, shelves, labels, drawers, three-dimensional maps, and in a desperate attempt to keep with the times, real-time satellite tracking of all socks. It has never worked. However, this week, for the first… Continue reading It’s the Little Things
After a perfectly peaceful and productive morning the housekeeping was in good order and the children were behaving beautifully, Mrs Pickwick decided to just lie down for a few minutes with Baby P for his third attempted nap, as the first two were interrupted by all the, er, quietude. It was almost time for lunch,… Continue reading Fr Pickwick’s Cup Runneth Over
Saturday morning in the Pickwick house dawned early and noisily, as the Blessings awoke with the sun, paying no heed to the fact that no one happened to need to be up for work, or church, or even grocery shopping. When the sound of five unsupervised and lively Pickwicks enjoying all the freedom afforded to… Continue reading Fr Pickwick Entertains a Breakfast Guest
Late last night, after choir rehearsal, Mrs. Pickwick cheerfully arranged a playdate for today- a nice lunch date from 11-2, to break up the school day. As any homeschooling mother knows, “breaking up the school day” like this does not actually mean giving hard-working minds a rest between Latin and arithmetic. It is code for… Continue reading Just Another Day in Paradise
The first of the spring sunshine is finally warming the Pickwickian abode, and every year, the children become immediately convinced that I have spent the winter thinking up unique forms of childhood torture to break out upon the first daffodil sighting. I always deny the charges vehemently, but to you, my dear readers, I feel… Continue reading Mrs. Pickwick makes a Confession
