“This was generally fine by me, as keeping my children out of raging fires is pretty close to the top of my parental to-do list. It’s like one of my core parenting philosophies, right up there with keeping the hyenas away. The downside, of course, was that I was the one who had to get his eyebrows scorched so that Sam could have a toasted marshmallow treat, take one bite, then declare that she didn’t like it.”

–Jamie Madigan in his weekly report on his daughters’ lives, Week 232: Fireworks, Flames and Sleep

“I want what I love to just be what I love, not for sale until I’ve gotten what I wanted out of it and it’s no longer of use to me anyway.”

—J explaining why she doesn’t necessarily want to get paid for doing what she does best, on Schnozzfest.com

“This mothering stuff really is about 5 parts raisin’ and 95 parts lettin’ go, I swear.”

—From meeting my fears and then chasing ‘em around the yard