Author Archives: Jaclynn Loibl

When I found a homeschool group close to home, I reached out, eager to claim one of the last two spots for January. After learning about the classes and age ranges, I was reassured it wasn’t religious—aside from a short morning prayer. If you’ve dipped your toes into the homeschool world, you know finding aContinue reading “A Wrap On That”

The ding-dong at the front door came unexpectedly. We’re a lazy morning family—Dave was still snug in bed in his briefs, Evelyn glued to Octonauts, and I was wandering the kitchen for ingredients. A handlebar-mustached man stood at the door, chest turned toward the side of our house as he gestured. “Hi, are you interestedContinue reading “Knock on Wood”

While waiting for inspiration to strike, I was so focused on the keyboard that my vision did that trance-y blur thing. When it started feeling like I was high on some kind of creative drug, I lingered in the experience a little longer. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a natural high. GoodContinue reading “Manic But Manageable”

“Significant weather” is expected just an inch north of us. The small weather map on a website I checked also advertised a Jimmy Buffett tribute show. While $150 was never happening, even the actual $15 entry fee (I had to do a double take) wasn’t tempting enough for me to consider. I’ve declared a timeoutContinue reading “Wicked Cold Weather”

After a semi-deep dive into clues about Aubrey Plaza’s husband’s suicide—and coming up with nothing—I zombie-walked across the room. Zombie-walking, for the uninitiated, is a confident forward thrust with one leg while the other slides passively behind. My fear of pressing too hard on my still-asleep foot, risking a twist or break, kept me movingContinue reading “Weight a Minute”

Dang, I have a commercial’s jingle in my head. Evelyn’s cough broke me from it. How do you know when to take a kid to the doctor? That’s the thought running through my mind. She has no fever, is eating well, and has plenty of energy. A quick peek at symptoms of pneumonia or respiratoryContinue reading “Take it Easy”

This new 36-inch circular table allows my laptop to rest as I settle into the cozy L-shaped bench nook in the kitchen corner. It feels like productivity thrives here, reminiscent of my favorite coffee shop during graduate school. There’s something about being part of the action—looking up to watch life unfold around me, clearing myContinue reading “Unless You Got Buns, Hun”

Before inputting the Buggy Town Auction into Google Maps, Evelyn asked if there would be rides. “No, it’s just animals to buy,” I told her. The next question, coming from a kid, was obvious: “Are we buying one?” I explained that we’d need a fence, a barn, and food, to which Dave added, “And we’dContinue reading “Buggy Town Auction”

I knew my 3pm appointment was carrying a burdensome load. The mounting family dysfunction of the past few months had accumulated, leaving them holding it together by a thread. Their problem-solving, troubleshooting, and overanalytical assessment of the situation led me to take a step below the surface and ask, “Yeah, but how are you reallyContinue reading “When the Dam Breaks”