These days, Ben’s the guy to pass out candy at the door while we rest on our laurels of having Halloweened it up for the last 26 years. In recent years, we’ve gotten fewer and fewer trick-or-treaters, so this time, Ben mixed it up with a fresh new take. If you were one of the…
Category: Life With Ben
Skipper
Ben has certain expectations when it comes to meals. He must be a part of the week’s menu creation and execution. Dinner must include meat. A weekend must include “special breakfast.” Typically, Ben does not question my culinary leadership, opting not to bite the hand that feeds him, but when Phil skips “special breakfast,” Ben…
Like a Horse and Carriage
Last weekend, we had the honor of attending Alyssa and Kyle’s wedding. Alyssa took care of Ben after school when she was in college and she now teaches in Philadelphia. What a great celebration of some wonderful people! (My photography skill was the only thing lacking, but it was a beautiful wedding!) For the nuptials,…
Teach Your Children
When the pandemic started, we had Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young’s So Far in the Triumph’s CD player. A couple times in the last 3 years, we tried listening to something else, but it never took. While it is true that I listened to it a lot in college, this isn’t that. I don’t know…
Taco ‘Bout a Great Summer!
Today was my first day of school! Though Ben is the only family member not involved with school these days, the rest of our lives revolve around an academic schedule, so he’s along for the ride. This year, in particular, I feel that we wrung out every last drop of summer we could. How do…
Birthday Suit
Ben felt so great in the red jacket he purchased for special prom, that he insisted on wearing it for his birthday. He kept referring to it as his birthday suit, and disregarded all our attempts to reeducate him on this term. Nobody loves his birthday more than Ben, and he squeezes out every last…
Deerly Beloved
While in town for Lycoming College’s Alumni Weekend, our friend Jamie brought us venison steaks (and some bologna, too), and we planned a meal of Ginger Sesame Venison Noodle Salad (a mouthful in every sense of the word). June is meant for big salads! The only problem was that Ben had a very drippy cold,…
Straycation – Making the Most of a Long Weekend
Theoretically, we know what a vacation is. When the pandemic raged, we heard an awful lot about the staycation. Today, we introduce the straycation. On a straycation, you wander each day, possibly with a destination in mind, possibly just for the ride. When you get home in the late afternoon, you take a little nap…
The Redcoats are Coming! The Redcoats are Coming! (How to pick your battles.)
This week, Ben attended “Special Prom,” an event hosted by somebody with a gigantic heart, whose child has special needs. Ben wanted to look “snazzy,” so he went shopping at a thrift store, and this jacket is what he not only found, but set his heart on. For a mere $3, this guy felt like…
Wild Life!
Thinking of Ben, my friend at work gave us some deer baloney. Thanks, Tammy! Once Ben laid eyes on it in the fridge, I knew he would remain agitated until we had a plan for its consumption. That Saturday morning, like usual, he began clamoring for “special breakfast.” What is “special breakfast,” you ask? Well,…