I’ve decided pushing people on the swings is not my ministry. This is the summer everyone learns to pump their legs.

Elmo too, Abby. Elmo too.

Claire believes firmly that two of my favorite snacks are “cashews” and “statues.” No one correct her.

The “out at” construction continues to confuse me.

“Can you please tell me about lunch bunch?” “Welllllll one kiddo was wearing sandals and one kiddo was wearing a red shirt.” Love these thorough, meaningful reports I receive from preschool. 😌

I love sad Boston fans.

[explaining the plot of my favorite book to my date] me: so you know how most caterpillars are only a little hungry?

my one & only thought about the debt ceiling: the older I get, the more I understand former house Speaker John Boehner crying a lot in various venues in DC

It is truly remarkable how many times three children can need to use the bathroom during a 45 minute long afternoon “quiet time.”

SOS It is 8:33 on Friday night and he is “just reading the back of the toothpaste tube for a minute.” ☠️

Stopped on the way home and got a donut for my good Mass behavior.

We’re playing on a playground and all a sudden I turn around and Mac is practicing fielding ground balls with four children we’ve never met and their Uncle Jerry. Classic.

Claire: Mama, how do you spell “dolphin?” Me: D-O-L-P-H-I-N. Claire: Whoa! That’s way too hard for Fran to spell!

Mike: I’m working! Why are you acting like this? Me: I just love attention! Well, I don’t really like attention that much. Only from you! Mike: It’s a blessing and a curse.

I cannot get over how pleather is now vegan leather. Absolutely incredible rebrand.

Mac, seeing a jail cell in a movie: “Girls, dat’s like a chicken coop but for bad people.”

I just heard the words, “Didn’t you *just* have breakfast? Why do you need another breakfast?” come out of my mouth.

Me: Want to get pissed about something that happened five years ago? Mike, so agreeable it’s bad for his health: I mean, we can if you want?

A courageous and selfless decision. The President did what he’s done for the last four years - he listened to the American people and put the country’s interests ahead of his own. The exact opposite of Donald Trump.

Please let this be true today: “There was always just enough virtue in this Republic to save it; sometimes none to spare, but still enough to meet the emergency.” —William Seward, Secretary of State during the civil war.