eSpecially Ben

I love everything about camping - sitting by the fire, eating outside, cooking on the grill, hiking, listening to the night noises and even the shower houses. Just give me a real bed to sleep on after I've eaten my very last s'more. I found the perfect solution - all the camping fun with a small cabin filled with a set of bunk beds and one full-size bed. No bugs or rain to worry about. And did I mention that these little cabins have air conditioning in the summer and heat in the winter? I do need some comforts. (I just went down a few notches with my friend Carla, who thought I was superwoman for camping. She did not have the full story. I do believe in full-disclosure and the cabin will be seen in the photos ;)

We are fortunate to have a local nature museum in Charlotte that is wonderful for kids (and adults). Well, wonderful for some kids. Ben hated this place from the very first time we set foot there more than 6 years ago. Each time, I convince myself that he will love the animals and exhibits. It is an easy place for me to take all three boys by myself and watch them safely. Usually he is in his walker and he spends the entire time at the doors trying to get out. Since he was in his chair on this visit, he cried, yelled and whined to make his position known. This photo serves as a reminder to avoid the nature museum when Ben is in the group. The next week I took Ben to another kid museum and he loved it. He sat at the make-believe restaurant table, made several rounds at the fire truck and seemed happy to be a part of the fun. I cannot figure out why one place is fun and the other not. Ben likes the zoo so I don't think it is the animals. Perhaps it is a smell, noise or someth

Two summers ago, when Logan was five years old, we met a homeless man, named Paul. It was a brief meeting, but it had a world of impact on Logan. After talking for a few minutes, Paul and I realized, we had a shared acquaintance - my neighbor, a social worker at the local men's shelter. The idea of homelessness had popped up many times. Living in a city, we see people pushing carts around, hanging out under street bridges and occasionally on a bench. Logan had asked endless questions about their life living on the streets. After seeing Paul, he wanted to solve the problem of homelessness. He suggested we put signs up around the city showing homeless people they could come to our house. Logan is a sensitive child and feels things very deeply and thoroughly. He thought about how Paul had to sleep with his hands under his head because he did not have a pillow. In lieu of signs pointing to our house, I reached out to my social worker neighbor to ask what we could do to help Paul spec