Monthly Archives: August 2011

Tooth fairy

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Gorilla Girl lost her first tooth.  This physical signal of her development took me a bit by surprise. Though I was a little worried that Gorilla Girl lost her tooth too soon, our dentist assured me that even though she … Continue reading →

Posted in experience, fairy tales, family, growth, lessons, motherhood | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Looking a gift horse in the mouth

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

We are moving my mother-in-law into our apartment, and in the process, we’ve been giving away, or attempting to give away, various items that we no longer have the space to keep.  I’ve posted the items we want to give … Continue reading →

Posted in affluence, community, expectations, neighbors, unexpected gifts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Personal questions

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I was picking up a former college roommate from Midway Airport a couple of days ago, and because of the sudden thunderstorm, Monkey Man, Gorilla Girl and I had to wait longer than expected for her arrival.  While we waited, … Continue reading →

Posted in adoption, community, connection, identity | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Reading, writing, and arithmetic

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Gorilla Girl and Monkey Man spent the summer without any scheduled activities — no summer school, day camp, lessons, or classes.  Our summer was about as  unstructured as they come, and we needed it.  So, I have been surprised at … Continue reading →

Posted in education, family, growth, language, lessons, motherhood | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Coming to terms with my addiction

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Hi, I am Necessity, and I am a food-blog junkie. I love scouring food blogs, making a list of ingredients for my next market trek or grocery run, and I love planning, chopping, blending, baking, and otherwise making and tasting … Continue reading →

Posted in chores, community, connection, food, motherhood | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Morning mourning

Posted on August 21, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Last night at 10 pm, I got a call from the University of Chicago Medical Center asking me to participate in a survey about my experience with the hospital. I suppose hospitals do this from time to time, survey patients … Continue reading →

Posted in expectations, experience, lessons, loss, memory, motherhood | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Look, it’s the “M” store!

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Gorilla Girl and Monkey Man call McDonald’s the “M” store when they see the impossibly huge and ubiquitous highway signs. They remain blissfully ignorant of the desires created by the fast food giant, and I want to keep it that … Continue reading →

Posted in affluence, food, ice cream, movies, summer | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A taste of Irish history from Roddy Doyle

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I just finished reading Roddy Doyle’s The Dead Republic, and it made me realize how little I really know about the details of Irish history. I have the gist, and I recall some of the modern events from my childhood, … Continue reading →

Posted in book review, IRA, Irish history, Irish Indepedence, Roddy Doyle | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The smells of summers past

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

With all the rain this summer, it’s ironic that I’ve yet to be rained on during either a bike ride or a run. Maybe the rain has come over night and that explains how I’ve missed it. But a few … Continue reading →

Posted in biking, endless summer, experience, memory, nostalgia, rain, running, summer, unexpected gifts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The end of endless summer

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

This post might have been titled Bike Riding in Michigan: Why did that chicken  (NOT) cross the road? I’ve been thinking about writing this post for weeks, and every time I go for a ride in Michigan, I remember something … Continue reading →

Posted in biking, connection, experience, ice cream, inspiration, life forms, summer, tranquility | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments