If you need to pick up your older child, and you need Sam to ride his bike, you might give him some Skittles for “energy food.” Even though both you and Sam know the Skittles are a bribe to get him on his bike and to stop playing with that darn hula hoop.Sam will take...Continue Reading
Ten years ago, almost on this very day, I wrote a letter to a guy named Aaron who lived in Nebraska and wrote a weblog (yes, I know, “weblog.” It was only 2002, so that’s what we called blogs). Like hearing a recording of your own voice, it’s a little hard for me to read...Continue Reading
Like I’ve written before, our lives look hipper through the Hipstamatic lens. Recently I’ve discovered the app everyone else with an iPhone loves: Instagram. If you’re on Instagram, I’m chergenrader, and we can follow each other or be friends or whatever the cool kids call it. If you’re not on Instagram (hi, mom), here are some...Continue Reading
On Thursday, Nate and I ran some errands at a hectic outdoor mall by our house. Even though it was ninety degrees outside, there were Christmas decorations everywhere. Right in the middle of the mall, this gorgeous Christmas tree towered above the wreaths and stoic reindeer and shiny red garland glittering in the slight breeze....Continue Reading
Marco…I’m so sorry to be driving to Galveston this morning for your funeral. I’m sorry your precious kids are hurting today. I can’t even imagine what your beautiful wife is going through.I lost a friend this week; the world lost a really good guy.I met you almost thirty years ago. Met is surely not the...Continue Reading
This past Sunday the Hergenraders adventured. (Yes, adventured is a word. It’s the verb used to describe leaving the house at 7:30 AM, driving hundreds of miles to participate in kind-of crazy ideas, and getting home twelve hours later.)Part of the adventuring included visiting the Gulf Greyhound Racetrack in Texas City. Not to make a...Continue Reading
Good morning on the day after the election. I’m so tired from staying up late watching the election results. By late I mean 10:30. I am who I am.So, in the spirit of being exhausted…and overloaded on knowledge, I’ve only got a list. Any more talk of data points and research and magic walls and...Continue Reading
We have a mystery around here causing our family lots of headaches.Elisabeth’s white shirt (pictured above at pick-up last week) is at the center of this WhoDoneIt.She once had seven of these shirts. Suddenly, they’ve all disappeared.Let me back up a bit. My relationship with these white shirts has been long and bitter.Three years ago,...Continue Reading
So, what do you think about the Man Cave phenomenon?Because all of the sudden, it’s everywhere. Last week I was in Hobby Lobby, and they had this whole Man Cave section. There were dark brown plaques proclaiming MAN CAVE! and Rules for Man Cave and even some kind of fake deer antlers. Which, actually, doesn’t...Continue Reading
It’s Nate here to tell y’all some exciting news. Did you know there’s a new way to get lollipops? You don’t even have to say “please” or anything. Just “trick or treat.” And guess what? Strangers give you candy! I kind of thought candy from strangers was against our family’s rules, but not on Halloween!...Continue Reading
