12, going on 27.1.

Guest Post by my daughter, Ali Callahan. So I decided to become an ultra marathoner. An ultra marathon is anything over 26.2 miles. I don’t remember why I wanted to do it originally, but I have been training for a year. The first race I wanted to do was the Lake Martin 27.1 mile “fun […]

Inside the Mind of a First Grader.

Ali is guest-posting for me today. (Yes, there are two bows plus arrows in her apron. If you want to complain, I wouldn’t.) Anyway. Here are some literary masterpieces that I’ve found lying around the house lately that she’s graciously allowed me to share. One day two lite’s played. Anathor lite came and toled them […]

A Tiny Writer’s View of Her Year.

For her past five birthdays, I’ve been writing her birthday posts for her. But she’s seven today. And after keeping a diary for over a year, Ali is now a prolific writer (and, as the year went on, became a creative illustrator) in her own right. (After all, she did tell the bat story better […]

The Rise and Fall of a Ballerina’s Career.

For the past nine months, Ali, Noah and I have been making weekly treks to Ali’s ballet class. It took us a while to find our place in this world, and Ali has gone back and forth, wavering between whether ballet is the most fun she has all week or something to be avoided at […]

As Noted During Quiet Time.

Hint: read “ice” as icky. Being that she’s a five year old girl, Ali has a lot of words. And although she does enjoy her daily quiet time, the multitudes of unused words tend to build up within her soul. To prevent a horrible drain clog, overflow, or some other gruesome word tragedy, Ali has […]

The Art of Storytelling.

Ali has begun filling all of our car rides with long, meandering stories with intensely complicated and slightly psychedelic plots, characters popping in and out with no introduction, and with endless subplots with no resolve.  She has graciously offered to guest blog one of these high quality stories, with the stipulation that I do the […]