The battle with my biological clock continues. It seems no one bothered to inform that timekeeper that I already have my two kids.

Nevertheless, younger friends and those who got started later than I are producing babies at an alarming rate.

Read this week’s shopping column where I blow the lid off the sippy cup in what’s hot for tots.

A shopping column ran, in case you weren’t following along.

Read this one to find out how to spiff up your deck for the Fourth.

I’ve returned from a five-day family reunion in Eastern Tennessee. It was pretty awesome. We went whitewater rafting and sightseeing but mostly just enjoyed being together and having fun.

I love what Betty Cuniberti wrote in today’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It’s crazy to me that people don’t use their vacation time. Here are some tips kids:
You’re not going to get that raise you’re expecting, cost of living if you’re lucky
The cost of gasoline is not going to go down significantly
Your employee benefits will not get significantly better

Vacation is one solid benefit you’ve got. Take it. All of it. And when you’re interviewing and negotiating your compensation, ask for more. Chances are, you’ll get it. A supervisor once told me that you can always negotiate to get more vacation and I’ve found that to be true.

My son is 15 and a half, whiling the summer away, likely his last to have such freedom.

I was remembering the summer I was his age. I didn’t grow up in St. Louis, much to my dismay (read my essay, The Secret Society of Those from Somewhere Else in The Commonspace) but still close enough in proximity that where you went to high school mattered. A lot.

I received my high school alumni newsletter this week, a publication I read cover to cover. Much to my delight and surprise there was a full page feature within about my first boyfriend, Mike. Now, Dr. Mike. Wow.

The summer of ‘86 was our time together, and I remember it fondly. We only had part of the summer, though. His father, from whom he was estranged, took him to Paris for a privledged month of drinking, going to clubs and smoking a little weed. What a dad.

When school started again in the fall, I was still bitter over my month of summer waiting for Mike to come home, so I picked out a new boy. I’ve often thought I should have stuck with the first.

I have a new TV show to TiVo. Morgan Spurlock, the documentary genius who brought us Supersize Me now has a show on FX called 30 Days. The premise? Live in someone else’s shoes for 30 days.

For the pilot, Morgan and now-fiance Alex live on minimum wage in Columbus, Ohio. When looking for the jobs that will allow them to survive the month, Alex walks past a McDonald’s and flips it off.

Whoa! I met a Wallenda! I was so excited to shake hands with Tito Wallenda from that famous flying family. We took the kids to Circus Flora and it was absolutely delightful. If you get a chance, check it out. It’s a charming Cirque de Soleil meets Barnum & Bailey (no tigers or lions or bears.)

This week’s shopping column. If you’ve been wonder what SPF 15 really means, this is your source. Turns out, to get maximum effectiveness, you’re really supposed to use a shot glass full of sunscreen.

I rarely actually swim. So my attraction to acquiring swimsuits is somewhat suspect. I do like to canoe and will be learning scuba, soon, so I do have an excuse. Read this week’s shopping column including my swimsuit shopping sage advice.

If you have a teenager looking for a summer job, check out this article.

A popular summer job when I was growing up was detasseling corn. I think the worst that happened to those kids was horrific sunburn. I’m keeping my teen busy with home projects, lawn mowing and a bit of babysitting. It seems a bit safer that way.

I had a dream last night I was holding a new baby. My mental clock says “no” but my biological, emotional clock says “yes.” Sometimes they duke it out.

We are surrounded by new baby friends, the probable cause of my latest baby urges. Shout out to Jack, Daniel, Annie and Carter! (Funny how Jack and Daniel just naturally go together.)

All ages currently counted in weeks, they’re of course the sweetest little people you ever did see. In the last week I’ve held Jack and Daniel and next week I’ll be seeing Carter. Annie and I haven’t met yet, but I think it was she I was holding in my dream.