1.  trying to keep a straight face while explaining to an 8 year old that a sit-in staged under a desk because he doesn’t want to take a math test is not an appropriate use of  peaceful protest…

2.  playing make-up-a-new-rule-each-game UNO…

3.  not laughing when your kid spends half an hour playing with each toy he is supposed to be getting rid of because he hasn’t touched it (or seen it) for the past six months…

4.  taking bets on how many rounds of wall-surfing the kittens will play before they settle down on your freshly folded laundry to sleep…

5.  swinging at the park…

6. giving the kittens a small wad of masking tape to play with…

7.  sewing some free-form patchwork out of scraps to make the kid a cape…

8.  figuring out what the science project in the back of the fridge is…

9. painting eachother’s toenails flourescent orange and lime green (colors chosen by the boy)

10. having someone else take out the compost/recycling/trash…

11. reading hipmama in the bathtub…

12. knowing that a fort made out of blankets and chairs in the middle of the living rooms guarantees you 20 minutes of peace and quiet…

13.  catching frogs in the garden…

14.  having the dog, the kittens and an eight year old snuggle up with you on the couch on sunday morning…

15.  casually telling your kid that he might want to take the underwear off his head before he takes out the trash… or not.