The other day, I read on Facebook that one of my friends just completed her main preparation for the onset of school. She described her “annual pre-school purging of widowed plastic lids and bottoms, missing cup tops and lonely snack sets.”  Basically, she takes a big trash bag and tosses any plastic ware that isn’t in tip-top shape and ready to perform its duties.  I was inspired by her zeal and even though I’ve just recently gotten around to emptying the backpacks from June, I decided to ask around and see what other preparatory rituals people take part in.  Although each mom seems to have …

I may live in THE BEST neighborhoods around, where we have a ton of kids around and they all come out to play.  Recently, weather permitting, I’ve had the pleasure of welcoming various neighborhood kids to my house, all of them looking to play with my son, daughter, cat, and even me (well, they come to talk with me – I love that).  Junior has been foregoing his winter diet of video to go outside and shoot hoops with the neighbors’ kids. Diva has been visiting some of the girls in the 'hood. Most of the children who visit are gracious. They say “please” and “thank you.”  One or two, …