Understanding Chris

  • Back to Yale

    This past weekend, Chris and I took a quick trip back to Yale.  The chair of Chris’s graduate department was retiring after 40 years.  Ben Sammler is a giant in the field of…

  • A Family Hero

    In my 8th grade language arts classes a few years ago, we used to write essays on the topic, “What defines a hero?”  Students spent all quarter studying all different types of heroes,…

  • My Blooming Husband

    Last week, Chris was in tech rehearsals almost every night, which means he didn’t get home until about 11:00.  And I was fighting a cold, so I was going to bed when the kids…

  • The Hardest Part of Kindergarten

    I was somewhat prepared for Bean starting kindergarten this year.  I read a few articles about it online, talked to some friends who had been through this before, and reminded myself that Bean was…

  • I Try Not to Rant, But…

    Normally, I try not to use this blog to make unproductive rants about my husband or family.  True, I complain a fair bit, but I hope readers can see through that and know…

  • Learning Through Listening

    One of the areas I have been trying to work on in my marriage has been truly listening to Chris and then reacting to his needs.  You’d think that would come naturally in…

  • The Grammar of Marriage

    I’m never more reminded of how lucky I am to have Chris than when we face a challenge together.  Over the years, we have learned that the only way to make it through…

  • Summer Ideals

    This past weekend was the big family festival that Chris’s theater puts on every year.  It’s his baby.  He and his staff plan it and organize it for months, so when the big…

  • Happy 30th Birthday, Chris!

    Dear Pookey, Welcome to your 30’s!  I can’t believe that we have actually been together for half our lives now.  In some ways that feels impossible.  I still get butterflies when you kiss…