All posts by latchkeymom

Halloween 2013 – the Good, the Bad & the Ugly

November 3, 2013 latchkeymom

Halloween 2013

Halloween was never a favorite holiday of mine. I don’t remember it being a big deal for me as a child, nor can I come up with more than a few homemade costumes that I dressed up in: queen, cowgirl, and possibly a witch. When we moved to Florida, it really went downhill, because costume choices were limited when the weather was still in the 70’s. Besides, no self-respecting teenager would ever be caught dead trick-or-treating! In college Halloween was a good excuse to drink and go to parties. In my early 20’s, when I was waiting tables in grad school, I worked on Halloween night because it was always a lucrative night. Once I entered the professional world, I’d usually opt to stay late, rather than deal with the insane traffic of parents rushing home. It was only when I had my own children that I started to get it. Thanks to my kids and their excitement, I now look forward to Halloween.

This year was bittersweet, because our seventh grader decided he was done with trick-or-treating. Between (all of) you and me, I don’t think he wanted to stop, but was probably succumbing to peer pressure. Middle school crap. He volunteered to stay home and watch Barrett – and Rich and I jumped on that. Traditionally, trick-or-treating with Barrett has been a challenge. Often he’d just walk past a homeowner, into their house – to explore their pantry, use the facilities or check out what they were watching on TV. Talk about mortifying! Eventually it became part of the tradition and Barrett moments made everything a little more interesting. Now an era was ending. Continue reading Halloween 2013 – the Good, the Bad & the Ugly →

Entertainment, Personal

CLP: The Grief of Glee

November 1, 2013 latchkeymom

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The Grief of Glee

Watching Glee has always put me in a good. How can you not smile at the joy the cast radiates when they’re belting out a tune? There’s nothing gleeful about grief, however. Grief is the price you pay for love, and we all loved Finn – and by extension the actor who played him, Cory Monteith. The actor’s death hit me surprisingly hard. I should probably note that my little brother passed away in May. At the time I heard the news about Monteith, I wasn’t even close to recovering from my own loss. I’m sure this contributed to my investment in this episode.

I watched “The Quarterback” episode for the first time alone, because I was certain that I’d be emotional. I also wanted to preview it, before deciding whether or not to let my kids (ages 12and 9) watch. Continue reading at Chick Lit Plus…

Entertainment, Things To Be Excited About

The Good Wife is Now The Great Wife!

October 30, 2013 latchkeymom

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The Great Wife

I am so enraptured with the TV show, The Good Wife, that I impatiently await each week’s new episode. In fact, for the first time since I figured out how to work my DVR, I actually watch a show LIVE. Can you believe that? Live. I also start watching fifteen minutes into the program, so I can queue up time and be able to speed through the commercials. The show is so intense that I can’t handle waiting through commercials for the next scene.

Last Sundays’ episode was like the greatest tennis game ever, with each legal team lobbing “balls” back and forth, and I swear my neck was turning as if I was really watching a match. All this, after the explosive scene between Will and Alicia! OMG – no wonder their affair was mostly shown in teasing snippet flashbacks, because there’s no way we could have handled these two in the bedroom.

Let’s start at the beginning of the episode, appropriately name “Hitting the Fan,” when Diane told Will about Alicia’s plan to leave Lockhart Gardner with Cary and take some big clients with her. Poor Will, the shock and disbelief he displayed made him look so vulnerable. Will, the man who’s screwed countless people over, got a little taste of his own medicine from the woman he loves (and we all know he does, even if he doesn’t realize it). I didn’t like it. Not one bit. Continue reading The Good Wife is Now The Great Wife! →

Personal, Writing

Class Assignment: What is home for you?

October 24, 2013 latchkeymom

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This fall I’ve been taking a writing class and I LOVE it. It’s kept me busy, but a good busy. With this class, my other writing commitments to My Forsyth Magazine and Chick Lit Plus blog along with taking care of my family, I’ve found it difficult to find the time to write all the blogs I want to for the Latchkey Mom! I want to keep posting things other than book reviews, so I thought it might be cool to share some of my class writing assignments. Some of the writing exercises are pretty interesting and I love the book we use for practice. I have flagged and highlighted the heck out of it. Most of the exercises are ten minute drills to get the brain working, and they’re supposed to be raw: just whatever comes to mind on a given topic – “Ten minutes, go.” I’ve been surprised how easy it comes, when I’m not over thinking it. I believe many of my practice writings will make excellent blog topics, so I’m going to cheat and periodically post some. This first one is about what home means to me. I hope you enjoy.

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What is home for you?

People have said, “Home is what defines us.” If that’s the case, I think my definition is very long and complicated. In the literal sense, I think of home as where I live now – the four walls, which I decorated with love that encompasses the people who I love most in this world. Home should evoke a peace, exhale a breath. There should be familiar smells, laughter and lots of comfortable places to rest. It should be the place you run to when you’re happy and when you’re sad. You should miss it when you’re gone. For me, my home is all of this and more. It is a place where I can just be me.

Home also makes me think of where I was born Continue reading Class Assignment: What is home for you? →