living the dream :: Page 3 :: Elizabeth McGuire

The Club pt. 2

Posted on August 15, 2014 by ewm | 4 Comments

A few months ago I wrote about the book club I share with my 11-year-old daughter and the countless gifts it has given back to both of us. The club keeps my daughter connected to friends who share her passion for stories, and it keeps me connected to my child and a wonderful group of tweens. Since the essay ran,…

Summer Snapshot pt. 1

Posted on July 15, 2014 by ewm | 0 Comments

It’s now half-way through summer and we’ve hit triple digits here in Austin. I don’t even have to look at the thermometer to know for sure, because the clearest sign is that every little thing my family is doing has started to irritate me. Beginning with swiping my stuff every time I turn around. Which is how this came to…

The club

Posted on April 30, 2014 by ewm | 27 Comments

When I originally offered to help with my daughter’s first book club, it was as a simple show of support for my 7-year-old bookworm. Flash forward 4 years and nearly 50 books later, the club has become one of the most valuable volunteer gigs of my parenting career. Our group was started in 2nd grade by a friend whose…

Makeover madness

Posted on January 15, 2014 by ewm | 13 Comments

The thing about a home improvement project is that it completely, unapologetically messes with your head. Creating mental whiplash, if you will. Big picture, little picture, big picture, little picture. My mind is constantly telescoping in and out, changing focus from one second to the next. What’s our family’s mission statement and how can we honor that within the confines…

By design

Posted on December 22, 2013 by ewm | 4 Comments

Overheard during the gingerbread construction process… The 11-year-old: As you can see, I’m a perfectionist. The 9-year-old: Well, I’m a realist. The almost-5-year-old: I’m a CANDY-IST! * * * Whatever your approach to the holidays, I hope you find what you need to have a season full of light. May you be surrounded by all the people who love you….

Hand me down

Posted on November 14, 2013 by ewm | 4 Comments

You know you’ve been married a long time when the wedding gifts have been officially bequeathed to the dog. * * * Want more thoughts on marriage and my better half? You might like these.

The intern

Posted on October 16, 2013 by ewm | 12 Comments

Overheard at the office… Mom, I’d like to discuss my terms and conditions. Meaning…? Meaning even though I’m an exceptional daughter, I’m doing this for extra money. $5 an hour. Mostly filing, sorting, labeling, that sort of thing. What about sick days and vacation? You’re a freelancer, sweetheart. Dang. * * *

Rhetorical questions (vol. 6)

Posted on October 7, 2013 by ewm | 2 Comments

So I cleaned up my phone this past weekend and downloaded a mere 2,257 photos to my computer. No big deal…the downloading and sorting and nonsense only required a few lifetimes during critical REM sleep time. But besides that, it was fun to scroll through the sheer randomness of so many everyday moments. Some of them have been shared here…

Vocabulary quiz

Posted on September 12, 2013 by ewm | 13 Comments

“Mom, did you know that I know what all the bleeped words are on the radio?” * “Mrs. McGuire, what does promiscuous mean?” * “Anachronistic?? No, I don’t know what it means but I love the word already!” * “What’s your definition of soon?” * “Ugh! We’ll see always means No.” * “Mama, you said I’m articulate? But I do…

Taking stock

Posted on May 22, 2013 by ewm | 8 Comments

As a very busy spring ends, I’m taking a breath before the season changes again. Oh, these transitions. They require so much practical planning and emotional adjusting. Depending on the day, I find myself either madly cramming in every last project on my hefty To Do list, or paralyzed by those jobs that simply won’t get done before summer begins….