Simply Stated Blogs » Adventures in Chaos

The Drum Teacher Says I Remind Him of the Mother on “Modern Family.” Is This an Insult?

Kristin van Ogtrop — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:37 +0000

My middle son has a wonderful drum teacher. His name is Josh and he is a musician and seems to have boundless energy. He is also a lot of fun, and really appreciates Middle’s [...]

Five Battles That Aren’t Worth Fighting With Teenagers, and Five That Are

Kristin van Ogtrop — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:04:33 +0000

A highly subjective list, from this mother of three boys: It is not worth fighting over… 1) Wearing a winter coat instead of that flimsy springlike thing, even though it is 25 degrees. 2) [...]

Kindness Online Starts With You (and We’re Here to Help)

Kristin van Ogtrop — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:49:26 +0000

Have you ever had someone write something horrible online that was to you, for you, or about you? You know, the sort of thing that most people (either out of a sense of politeness [...]

What’s Better: To Start the Year With a Bang or a Whimper?

Kristin van Ogtrop — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:31:38 +0000

In other words, do you embrace your postholiday, back-to-work funk and stay in your pajamas for as long as possible, eating leftover cheese fondue and wondering how early in the day you can start [...]

A Beautiful New Holiday Tradition?

Kristin van Ogtrop — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:33:58 +0000

There is a museum fairly close to my house—the Bartow-Pell Museum—that always does fun kid stuff for Christmas. Last year our youngest and I went to see a puppet show; this year there was [...]

Do I Have to Refrigerate My Peanut Butter?

Kristin van Ogtrop — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:39:21 +0000

From the Pantry Head-Scratchers Department: For much of my life, my mother made me suffer through all-natural peanut butter. On apples, on celery, on toast, on sandwiches, you name it. It was “healthier,” “better [...]

The Turkey: To Brine or Not to Brine?

Kristin van Ogtrop — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:02:09 +0000

Before we get started, I have to confess that I bought a turkey that is labeled “extra lean.” Was that a mistake? This year my husband’s family is coming for Thanksgiving and I am [...]

The Hardware Store: A Love Story

Kristin van Ogtrop — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:10:30 +0000

Over the weekend my youngest and I went to the little hardware store in my town, because I needed lightbulbs. There are many, many other (and cheaper) places where we could buy lightbulbs, but [...]

Would You Rather Interact With a Human or a Machine?

Kristin van Ogtrop — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:14:39 +0000

This morning on the way to work I had to stop at the bank to deposit a check. I do not—ever—deposit checks by ATM, mostly because I don’t want to learn how to do [...]

Are These Shoes Genius or a Complete Horror Show?

Kristin van Ogtrop — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:22:52 +0000

One of the things that is both most amazing and most maddening about Middle is that when he fixates on something, he never lets go. He is like a pit bull, or at least [...]