The other day, I went to the store to make a very practical, necessary purchase, and on my way to the register, I saw a mini waffle maker.

This has been the bumpiest school start that I can remember. I keep saying we will find our rhythm—and we will. But we are going to miss the bus a few more times before we do.

When I was growing up, my family had steamed crabs very rarely—usually when out-of-town relatives were visiting. My husband spent more time near the water, so he had them more often.

As I sat there watching them play in the water, I could almost feel the last bit of that sweet summer freedom slipping away. This was likely our last pool day of the season. The busyness of autumn is looming large.

Does macaroni and cheese taste different based on the shape of the noodles? My son pointed out that I hardly ever make macaroni-shaped macaroni and cheese—and right away everyone else at the dinner table chimed in.

The Maryland State Fair calls to me like a siren song. I know that it will be crowded and expensive and hot. But I can’t help myself. It’s almost as if I have to go.

One of my son’s friends gave me three enormous zucchinis from his garden, and I was so excited. We don’t have a vegetable garden, mostly due to time and partly due to the enthusiastic wildlife in our yard. These were the largest zucchini I had ever seen.

There’s already a Queen of Christmas. She’s your mother and mine—and Jesus’. She’s the queen of heaven and earth.

Some days as it’s all spinning around me, I pause and realize that the worries have nothing to do with finding a navy blazer or getting someone to orientation on time. It has everything to do with hoping your children have the knowledge and tools they need to navigate a new school year.

We spent last week at Rehoboth Beach, enjoying a beautiful week of cousin craziness