A genius new auto-injector for allergic reactions and other revelations

If your Cars 2 obsessed child happens to leave his Cars 2 lunch box at the bowling alley where he attended a birthday party over the weekend, and you are not able to pick it up till the following weekend, he will somehow survive. 

Somehow, I always forget that June is the most hectic month of the year, next to December. My brain just keeps thinking that it should be easy. 

There's a new epinephrine injector, the Auvi-Q. It's a bit larger than a credit card and about 1/2 inch thick, so it's easy to tote around; it has voice instructions to guide you through the injection process; and it comes in kid and adult doses. Our pediatrician think it's going to put the Epi-pen out of business. I'm getting three of them, because I am extravagant that way! Er, I need one for home, one for school, one for the car/when we're out and about. 

End-of-year teacher and aide gifts sometimes stump me, but this year I got them little wind chimes with a purple hanging pendant, so they'll also remember Max. [Pats self on back.]

I could easily spend the better part of my life browsing Houzz. At least I have plans for retirement.

That old saying "Always get it in writing" is excellent advice.

It's actually humanly possible to retain all of the pieces for a toy for 10 years. Is there an award for that?

If it weren't for Guerlain Meteorites luminizing powder, some days people might not be sure I am still alive.  

If you are on the commuter train in the quiet car, where people aren't supposed to talk, and the guy sitting next to you is mumbling continuously as he works on his laptop and you say "Excuse me, this is the quiet car" and he says "But I'm talking to myself!" it's best to just move.

If your 8-year-old has been asking for a year to get her ears pierced and you finally give in, you will no longer have any good threats left to make her clean her room or otherwise behave. But she will look very cute.

If your child needs to bulk up, consider feeding him macaroni and cheese pie (what Max calls this recipe made from acorn squash). Max consumes vast quantities of it, and whereas at his annual checkup the doctor was concerned Max was maybe on the puny side, at a follow-up appointment four months later Max had gained TEN pounds and grew an inch and a half. Thank you, macaroni and cheese pie.

It is not a good idea to DVR the season's first episode of True Blood and watch it right before you go to sleep. 

You're never too big of a kid to enjoy the rides at the mall.