Fun Friday – A matter of interpretation or misinterpretation

photo credit: Shutterfly

Today's post is one from the archives of a few years ago, yet is still hold relevance today. 

Have you ever experienced a situation where something you did or said was misinterpreted? An item on my grocery list was the target of misinterpretation the other day.

I stopped by the grocery store on the way home from work, once inside the store I realized that I didn’t have my shopping list. Using my semi-sharp memory, I grabbed items that I could recall from the list.

Before leaving the grocery store I called my teen son at home and asked him to read the list to me. He rattled off items, “Milk, cereal, apples, Ritz…”

“I don’t remember Ritz being on the list, you’re just add stuff,” I told him.

“I’m just telling you what I saw on the list,” he said adamantly.

I grabbed a few more items, including a box of Ritz crackers. Although I didn’t believe the crackers were on the list, I got them anyway because I like to snack on them.

After arriving home, my curiosity got the best of me, I had to check out the grocery list. The list was still in its spot, written on a magnetic pad posted on the refrigerator door. The items were – milk, cereal, apples and GRITS not RITZ.

Somebody had not taken their time to write clearly or to read slowly. Either way I was without grits. It was no big loss, I simply created a new list. However, next time I will make a list to remind me to take the list when I leave the house for the day.

What experience have you had with something being misinterpreted?

Fun Friday - 5 Nutrition Tips from a Teen (for storing leftovers)

Photo Credit: Fine Dining Lovers

Just in time for Holiday gatherings and leftovers, is a story I wrote a couple years about what my son learned in his nutrition class.

 “Ma, what’s for dinner?”

My sixteen-year-old son held the refrigerator door open and gazed at the contents. “I don’t want leftovers today.”

“You can choose what’s in the fridge or you can cook something different,” I said.

My son proceeded to tell me what he learned in his nutrition class.

“My nutrition teacher said leftovers are not safe to eat after four days.”

This statement was all my son needed to hear to avoid eating leftovers. He even attempted to pull his brother in on his shenanigans.

“Donovan, remember when Mama would cook something on Monday and still try to get us to eat it on Saturday?” They both laughed.

Once my son recovered from his bout of laughter, he told me three tips he learned in class.

·         When storing leftovers, let them cool before putting them in the refrigerator. A drastic change in temperature before putting the food away can cause an increase in bacteria.

·         Wrap lettuce in a paper towel, then return it to its usual packaging to retain freshness longer.

·         Wrap the tip of an unpeeled banana with saran wrap if you want to keep it from becoming ripe too quickly.

·         Food shouldn’t remain sitting out more than two hours.

·         Leftovers shouldn’t be eaten after being in the refrigerator for more than four days.

And those are your nutritional tip provided by a teenager and his teacher. Do you have any nutrition tips share?

Muffins with Mom – 5 Things I wish I’d learned 5 years ago

Today’s blog post is one I posted a few years ago, but feel it’s still relevant and may strike a chord with you.

Is there such a thing as a Parenting Boot Camp? If there is, I need to sign up now. Maybe I could even be a guest speaker for this event. The boot camp could meet weekly and cover parenting tips for various ages and stages of the growing child. I’d lead with preparation tips for raising a teen.

Being in the midst of raising teens led me to write today’s blog post about things I wished I’d learned before NOW (or 5 years ago).

1.      A two-minute warning does not work for teens – in the game of football a two-minute warning means there’s two minutes left in the game. I thought I could use this concept in parenting. When asking my son to complete a task, he often moves slowly. So I’ve told him he has two minutes to get moving. However, just like in the game of football, his two-minute warning can last five minutes or more.

2.      When someone says the teen years can be challenging, believe them – When my boys were 16 and 13 years old they were typical teens who wanted to hang out with their friends. I thought I had it made as I boasted to myself, the teen years aren’t so bad, people exaggerated. No they didn’t. Challenges will come, but you will make it through if you remain grounded in your faith.

3.      As your kids grow older so will you – this might sound obvious, but my body was not aware of this. Sometimes I exercise to a work out DVD. During a recent exercise session, the instructor did a lot of kicks and jumping that I had trouble keeping up with. In the past I was able to do the moves without much difficulty, fast forward a couple of years and gravity is now keeping me from flying through the air with ease. The instructor was smiling and talking through the moves. I was panting and reaching for a glass of water.

I have considered writing to someone requesting that a warning label be applied to the DVD packaging. The warning could read: If you’re over 45, you might want to select a different exercise program. Then again this may be covered under the disclaimer we often hear, “consult your physician before beginning…”

4.      The high school years go by quickly – One day you’re enrolling your child for high school, then you blink your eye and he’s planning for senior prom. I often heard that “kids grow up so fast” and “enjoy them while they’re young.” All of this is true. My younger teen is still at home so I have another opportunity to experiment and practice raising a teen. Once both my boys are adults, I should be an expert.

5.      You’ll make mistakes and it’s ok – love unconditionally.

Fun Friday – 5 Signs that football season is near

Do you know what season it is? Yes, it’s back to school season and for some of us sports moms, it’s back to sports. Sports season means everybody gears up. Your child pulls his gear out and you grab yours. Except…your gear may look a little different.

My son has graduated from high school football to college football. The difference now is that I travel a further distance. I pack music for the car ride, money for the toll booth, and a riding companion to keep me company for the four hour drive.

As we head into the world of college football, I want to reflect on the signs of football seasons past. Below is a blog post from a couple seasons ago. There may be information that you find helpful or simply entertaining.

The story….

It’s the second week of two-a-days. For my son this means two football practices a day for two weeks. For me this means adding to the grocery list, organizing drop-off/pick up at practice time and additional loads of laundry.

When my son is a part of a team…I am part of the team. He suits up, so do I.  My son puts on his girdle, I put on my girdle. We both head to the field wearing the school colors. It is officially high school football season.

Do you have a child who plays sports? What are indicators that the season is upon you? Below are 5 signs that high school football is near.

1.      You receive reminders about the deadline for sports physicals.

2.       You have to sell discount coupon cards.

3.      Your son shows you pictures of all the latest (expensive) cleats.

4.      You’re riding around with a stadium chair in the trunk of your car.

5.      You receive emails asking you to volunteer.

Once you have recognized the signs that your season is changing, you prepare accordingly. Just as you dress differently from fall to winter, you must also adjust your schedule from one sport or activity to the next for your child. For our household, this means Friday nights will revolve around football games.

It’s not all bad being a sports parent. It can be a time for socializing with other parents and building relationships. You just have to remember to watch the game too because your child will ask you, “Did you see my play?”

Is your child involved in activities outside of school? What are the indicators that it’s time to begin a new season or session?

Fun Friday – Back to school

It was a typical July day - exercise, work and coffee at my favorite lunchtime writing spot. As I sat, sipping coffee and working on a writing assignment, my phone buzzed. It was a text message from my teen son that read, “I’m getting ready to go.”

“Noooo, everybody didn’t get to say goodbye. I thought you were staying one more day.” I really meant I didn’t say goodbye.

My son was driving back to college that day. I thought I had convinced him to stay one more day. I rattled off a list of reasons to stay…

·         Your living quarters were not going to be ready for another day.

·         You’ll have to inconvenience your friend’s parents by staying with them.

·         You may forget items if I’m not there when you leave.

None of these reasons shook his resolve.

“Okay,” I said. “If I get home and you’ve left stuff everywhere, I’m charging you a $50 cleaning fee.”

My son met me at my lunch spot to take a few selfies before he headed off to school.

Later, I arrived home ready to put my feet up, sit outside in the warm breeze, and sip on a smoothie made with fresh berries. Instead, I had to navigate through a living room that looked like a shoe display at Foot Locker, Famous Footwear or some other popular shoe store.

There were empty boxes and other boxes filled with shoes waiting to be moved to a new location. Putting my sleuth skills to work, it wasn’t long before I realized my son packed hurriedly.

His George Foreman Grill still sat on the kitchen counter. There was a five pound bag of rice still in the cabinet, and the bedroom held a scattering of socks, a towel and other miscellaneous items.

Once my son arrived safely at his destination he texted me and said, “I made it. I just realized I forgot to grab my clothes hangers.”

“Yes buddy, you forgot more than that. And you do owe me a $50 cleaning fee.”

My son was anxious to get back to school, not for the exciting academic year, but for football training. Everybody has something different that drives them to succeed.

Sitting in a lawn chair sipping a Strawberry Banana Smoothie on a warm July day, does not seem the time to prepare for back to school. I’m not ready to say goodbye to summer, but, for everything there is a season.

How does your child prepare for back to school?

Muffins with Mom – Temptations of a teen

photo credit

To be, or not to be…vegan; that is the question. This is not a soliloquy by William Shakespeare, but rather a parody from the life of my teen son. He wants to become vegan for the health of it. An attempt was made a few months ago, to live this lifestyle, but my son was met with temptations.

The next attempt at the vegan lifestyle, my son gathered recipes, but was again tempted. This time it was in the form of a dream. He called to give me an update, “I had a dream…”

I cut him off mid-sentence, “Let me guess, you had a dream about beef.”

“Something like that.”

“Were there, seven lean cows and seven fat cows?”

“Huh?”

“It’s a Bible reference,” I said. Pharaoh dreamed about seven lean cows and seven fat cows.”

“Anyway…I dreamed I was at a sandwich shop and had a sandwich with bacon and pepperoni. Then it turned into a mirage.”

There was a pregnant pause. I spoke first. “Are you waiting for me to interpret your dream?”

“Could you?”

“Well, it sounds to me like maybe you went to bed hungry.”

I’m no dream interpreter, however, I reminded my son of a thought I’ve heard. When faced with temptations, you have to renew your thinking.

To be or not to be…tempted. How do you handle temptations?

Muffins with Mom – When your child realizes your value

Cinderella had a Fairy Godmother, the Shoemaker had elves (The Shoemaker and the elves) and in modern day times, my son has discovered the Editing Fairy. What exactly is a fairy? Oxford dictionaries describes a fairy as, “a small imaginary being of human form that has magical powers.”

According to the above definition, my son truly believes I’m a fairy.  Let’s dissect the definition. 

Small – I am shorter then my son. Imaginary – I’m sure my son pretends I’m a figment of his imagination when I say something he doesn’t want to hear. Magical Powers – he believes in magic. Let me tell you how I know…

One dark night, as I lay in bed curled against my down filled pillow, I heard the buzz of my cell phone. It was a text message from my son who was away at college. “Ma, I need you to proof read a paper for me…by tomorrow.”

“Hmph. Not gonna happen tonight.”

My son thought I had magical powers or that I was going to work through the night like the elves in the story of the Shoemaker and the Elves. Bless his heart. I was able to help him the next day, but reminded him that I needed more notice for my proof reading services.

There were a couple more assignments my son asked me to proof read, in a timely manner. Then he slipped up and ran out of time on a recent paper; he didn’t complete it in time for me to proof read before he submitted it. When my son received his paper back from his instructor, he sent me a text message.

“I can’t turn in anymore papers without you looking them over first.”

“What happened? I asked.

“Looks like my instructor used all the ink in her pen to correct my paper.”

The text message ended with two crying emoji’s.

My son learned the value of his mother’s editing services and he learned to plan ahead. An editing fairy has her limits.

DISCLAIMER: In case my son’s instructor reads this post – I don’t write his papers, only proof read.

Has your child discovered your value?

Muffins with Mom – The Squirrel Whisperer

Innocent squirrel

Reclined on the coach watching the evening news on T.V., my mother was settled in for the night…until. She heard a scratching sound somewhere in the room, but did not investigate. Moments later, she glanced away from the T.V. and looked over at her staircase. She saw something of a shadowy figure.

As mom’s eyes focused, she made contact with the black bushy tailed squirrel who was peering at her between the spindled rails of the staircase. Before she could [AV1] blink, it dashed back up the stairs and into one of the rooms. And that was just the beginning.

It took mom a little while to collect herself and trudge up the stairs to the bedrooms. She did not hear the pitter patter of little feet, nor did she search for them. Instead, the quickly closed the bathroom and bedroom doors. And retreated back to the living room couch, where she slept intermittently.

The scratching continued the next day and mom had enough. She called me and asked if we were still planning to have lunch together. I said, “Yes, as long as it’s not at your house.” During lunch we discussed a strategy for getting the squirrel out of the house. We decided to call my teenage son.

My son met us at mom’s house. He strolled through the door like a sheriff from an old western movie. He put his clenched fists on his waist like Superman and began giving orders, “Ma, you take broom and Granny can use the mop.” We opened the front door and propped the screen door open with a kitchen chair.

My son climbed the stairs carrying his broom, he didn’t hear a sound, but he saw evidence of the squirrel. Sawdust was sprinkled across the front of a closed bedroom door. He opened the door slowly, using the flashlight on his cell phone to search for the squirrel. The squirrel wasn’t moving. My son pushed the door open wider and stumped his foot on the floor to rouse the squirrel.

In a matter of seconds the squirrel shot from the room, began to descend the stairs in my direction. I screamed, the squirrel tried to run back upstairs, but my son, blocked him with his broom. The squirrel scrambled back down the stairs and headed in mom’s direction, she guarded a corner with her mop. The squirrel escaped outside. Whew.

I felt like we were playing floor hockey. My son, the squirrel whisper, wild animal tamer, had devised a plan that worked. Sometimes it’s okay to listen to your children, teach them to be resourceful and not fearful.

This is the squirrel I envisioned coming from the bedroom.

Have you had any encounters with wild animals?

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 [AV1]

Muffins with Mom – 3 tips for coaching your teen through a first job

photo credit: The Odyssey Online


My son came home after interviewing for his first summer job and said, “Ma, they said I gave a great interview.” His voice dripped with proudness. After passing his preliminary interview, my son received notice that he had been awarded a job with a summer day camp. And this is where the story really begins.

At the end of day one on the job, my son came home and said, “The kids didn’t want to do anything. They just wanted to sit in the shade outside or keep going inside the building, saying they were thirsty.”

My son briefly talked to me about his day, then announced, “I’m taking a nap.”

“You only worked four hours,” I said.

“I need to rest, I worked with every group. And I had to tell my partner what to do.”

I told my son that he was learning what having a job was about-responsibility, team work and being flexible.

After two weeks on the job, my son said, “I haven’t been paid yet. I feel like I’m working for free.”

Here was yet another opportunity to discuss the inter working of a first job. In this era of Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter, there are still some things that are not instantaneous. No matter what I said, my son thought he should be paid sooner. Our discussion branched off in several directions.

Some things I attempted to explain to my son, only for him to say, “I know, BUT…” As a result of our conversation, I came up with the tips below for coaching your teen through a first job.

1.      Be responsible – remind you teen about showing up at work on time and focused on assigned tasks.

2.      Save – “pay yourself first” is a saying I’ve heard often. Demand Encourage your teen to save money rather than spending right away. Have a discussion about impulse spending versus delayed gratification.

3.      Give your best – don’t be afraid to ask questions if there is something you are unsure about.

My son finally received his paycheck and he was very conservative about spending his money. He said to me, “Ma, I need some gas money.”

“Didn’t you just get paid?” I said.

 “Yes, but I need to save my money.”

There you have it, my son’s interpretation of our discussion.

What tips would you share for coaching a teen through a first job?

Muffins with Mom – 3 Tips for preparing your child to leave home

photo credit: Home and Family Life

When a child leaves home for the first time it can be a daunting task. After a visit to the college my son will attend, I relate the experience to the game show $100,000 Pyramid. You know, the show where one person gives their teammate clues to the word they want him to say.

While apartment hunting for my son, we discovered a location that was impressive. A rental agent walked us through one of the models. The décor throughout the apartment had a definite theme; the place setting on the kitchen counter had the color scheme of the faux leather sofa and throw pillows.

I checked drawers, open doors, and discovered a treasure. In the dark corner of a closet, lurking in a small space, was a broom. I snatched it from its resting place and displayed it for my son. Of course I had to ask him, “Do you know what this is and how to use it?”

My son rolled his eyes and said, “It’s a mop” sarcasm evident on his face, but I didn’t let him off that easy. I began to throw clues at him.

“It’s something used to clean dirt/dust from a floor, people use it in place of a vacuum cleaner. It’s used for one of those chores you rarely do.” This was my version of the $100,000 Pyramid.

“Your sarcasm is wasted on me. I will keep the apartment clean.”

My son understood what I was indicating to him. Yay.

Whether you’re sending your child off to camp for the summer or getting her ready for college, preparation is required. If you asked me my top three tips for preparing your child to leave home, here’s what I would say:

1.      Teach them to be respectful – be mindful of those she has to share a space with; keep her area clean.

2.      Have a cooperative spirit – be willing to help where needed (without the excessive moaning, groaning and grumbling).

3.      Teach him to be resourceful – problem solving skills can come in handy when a child is away from home. Whether it is conflict resolution or knowing how to stretch a dollar, awareness in this area can go a long way.

What tips would you add for a parent preparing child to leave home?

Muffins with Mom – Parenting blueprint – 3 tips for effective parenting

“Mama, did you see that tackle I made?”

“Did you see me shake that boy when I scored that lay-up?”

Over the years there have been many cheers from the 50 yard line, shouts from gymnasium bleachers and countless end of season banquets. And there have been days where parenting was less than glamorous.  Is there a parenting blueprint to guide us through the jungle of parenthood?

I haven’t discovered a parenting blueprint, but I have come up with three tips that I’ve found effective for a parenting toolkit.

1.      Find Balance – often as parents we believe we have to always put our children first, to the point of not taking care of ourselves. In order to be healthy and experience less stress we must have balance. Take care of the children, but also find something that you like to do and do it. Don’t think you have to wait until the children grow up.

2.      Seek parenting resources – participate in a play group if you have younger children. If you have teens, share your experiences with other parents of teens. You will discover that you are not the only parent with a teen you have to beg to clean his room, wash the dishes or do homework.

3.      Support your child’s interests – my boys have been involved with sports from the time of pre-school soccer, little league football, AAU sports and high school sports. My younger son (high school senior) added rugby to his list of sports last year. I don’t know anything about rugby, but when he runs with the ball, I’m right there cheering for him and the team.

Below are a couple of recent videos of my time on the sidelines of sporting events.

Rugby - Washtenaw Dark Army

High School Track Meet

What tips would you add in developing a parenting blueprint?

Muffins with Mom – The dome and other teen colloquialisms

photo credit

My teen son was excited to share with me a poem he created. The words slid from his mouth with rhythm. They bounced like the jab, jab, punch pattern of a boxer. And when the last phrase was delivered, he smiled and said, “That was off dome.”

Dome. My son was not referring to a covered shelter where indoor sports take place. Nor was he referring to the ceiling light in our car. For this teenager, off the dome, meant, off the top of his head.

On another occasion, I asked my son if the outfit I was wearing looked okay. He said, “It’s smooth.” Smooth. My son was not referring to the feel of a stone found lying on the ground. In the context of my son’s sentence, smooth, meant something looked nice or was cool.”

In a conversation with my son, I learned that teens are always on “the gram.” Could this be in relationship to a telegram? Maybe. The gram is a way to deliver a message, however, the reference is to Instagram. Teens use this social media to instantly deliver pictures and videos.

Teens seem to have a language of their own and they understand each other. Quite often when in a conversation with my teen son, he will stop mid-sentence and ask, “Do you know what that means?” Most of the time I am able to provide the correct meaning.

Do you speak the language of teen? What words have you heard a teen use that required you to draw conclusions about the meaning?

Muffins with Mom – Leftovers

photo credit

My teen son called me on the phone at the end of my work day. “Ma, what time are you coming home? I want tacos for dinner.”

“I should be there by 4:30pm, I’m finishing up a few things. Go ahead and start the tacos,” I said.

“No, I’ll wait for you.”

He waited, and waited and waited.

When I arrive home an hour later, my son was stretched across his bed asleep.

He mumbled a few muffled words to me, “what took you so long?”

“Umm, I had to wooork.”

“Now, I don’t have time to eat. I have practice tonight.”

I had already started making the tacos as soon as I entered the house. It was simple enough that my son could have prepared the meal himself, but he opted to wait for me. So, wait he did.

Our back and forth banter continued.

“The tacos are almost done, you can eat a couple before practice. Then eat more after practice,” I said.

“I don’t want to eat them after practice, they’ll be leftovers. You know I don’t like leftovers.”

“I won’t put the meat in the fridge. I’ll leave it at room temperature for you. You won’t be at practice that long.”

“It will be cold, I’ll have to warm everything up. It will be leftovers.”

In that debate discussion with my son, I walked away with a new definition of “leftovers”, from a teen’s perspective.

Do you have a finicky eater in your family?

Muffins with Mom – Snow Day – 3 tips for a fun snow day

It was the night before school and all through the yard,

Teens were jumping, bumping and playing quite hard.

Tossing the football and running through snow,

Laughing and playing with nowhere to go.

“School is cancelled,” one teen yells.

“No teachers, no homework, no ringing bells.”

Dash away one, dash away all,

The school will be empty, no one in the hall.

Teens were happy, they could stay up late

Mom said, “No, no you must wait.”

“Hold your enthusiasm, there’s much to be done,

There’s, sweeping and mopping and other chores my son.”

The teen’s spirits temporarily deflated,

Mom said, “Let’s play a game,” they were elated.

Snow day was fun for one and all,

No need to fret, just have a ball.

How do your kids enjoy a snow day? My teens were assigned a mission…shovel our snow and clear the neighbors sidewalk too. My seventeen year old layered up with two hats, gloves and a bulky coat. Then he grabbed a football.

“You don’t need a football to clear the snow,” I said.

“Yes, you’re right.”

He sat the football aside as he searched for a thicker pair of gloves. I moved on to another task. About fifteen minutes later I heard sounds in our front yard. It was not the sound of the snow blower, nor the sound of a shovel. I peeked through my room blinds to see my teens playing football. I did what I do best, captured the moment.

Once my teens discovered I was recording their antics, they put on a show.

“Ma, make sure you get this move.”

I captured a minute or so of their non-shoveling escapade. What I found out later was that the looser of my son’s football game had to shovel the snow by himself. The teens had created their own method for completing a chore that they did not want to do. They made it fun, for one of them.

After the snow was shoveled and everyone relaxed awhile, we decided it would be family night. We opened a new pack of Old Maid cards I’d picked up from the dollar bin at the store the other day. We laughed as the little old lady moved from person to person. And that’s how we spent our pre-snow day. I still had to work the next day.

Here are 3 tips for enjoying a snow day:

1.      Make it a family night – play a card game, board game, even a video game together

2.      Play in the snow

3.      Watch a Holiday movie

What tips do you have for enjoying a snow day?

Muffins with Mom – 3 Reasons to create a vision board

Do you have a vision of where you want to be five years from now? One year from now? Perhaps you are seeking financial freedom, improved health or some other project you have always wanted to accomplish. What does your roadmap toward success look like? A vision board is one way plot your goals.

What is a vision board? It can take on whatever for you want. Grab a poster board, cut words pictures, quotes from magazines and use them to create a visual map of what you want to achieve.

My teen son said, “Ma, I need to apply to some more colleges. Time is starting to wind down.”

My response was simple, “Yep.” His senior year in high school is coming to a close. I have been emphasizing for quite a while to my son, the need to prepare for the next stage of his life. He had to come to the realization on his own. So here we are.

“Let’s work on a new vision board,” I said. My words fell on deaf ears for about a month. While my son has been applying to colleges, he didn’t really have a plan. His approach was random, he knows he wants to go away to school, but I felt he should be checking more details. Have a plan A and B. He began his vision board.

Why create a vision board? Here are three reasons (you may come up with even more):

1.      Provides direction for your life

2.      Makes you accountable to yourself

3.      Creates positive self-awareness

The key to effectively using your vision board is to place it in a spot where you will look at it every day. If your vision board is based on one year, after six months access where you are with the goals you’ve set. Do you need to do something differently to get to achieve the result(s) you want?

Have you ever created a vision board? Let your creative juices flow, have fun, and plot out your goals.

Fun Friday – Surprise guest

It was a chilly fall evening when I slipped into my fleece pajamas and fuzzy socks. My hair was pulled back into a ponytail secured with a hair clip, and covered with a bonnet. I was the spitting image of Little Red Riding hood’s Grandma…except with a tan. My teen son decided to bring company home, unexpected.

The house was dark as I began to descend the stairway from my bedroom. I was halfway down the stairs when I heard the front door open and my son said, “Ma, I brought company home.” At the same time, he flicked the light switch on and said, “Ma this is….”

“Noooo.” I didn’t wait to hear the rest of his introduction as I turned to flee the stairway. “I am not ready to receive company.”

I rushed back to the bedroom, snatched off my bonnet and covered my fleece jammies with a fleece housecoat. My appearance was a far cry from glamorous, but at it least it didn’t look like I’d just crawled out of bed. I reemerged from the bedroom with a smile and greeted our house guest.

After a brief interrogation engagement with our guest, I retreated back to my cozy spot, topped my head with my bonnet and curled up with a book. Sipping Hazelnut coffee and reading, it was easy to drift back into my relaxed state. There would be time later to converse with my son about house rules.

My son obviously didn’t realize there was an unwritten code about bringing guests home. In this day of instant messaging, I should have at least received a text indicating company was on the way. Even a ten minute lead time would have allowed me to give the house a quick glance and shove things in a corner if necessary.

Have you ever had a surprise guest appear at your home? What did you do?