Let's get this straight right off the bat - when I say Big Dance, I'm not talkin' about the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. This despite the name supposedly being coined in reference to Milwaukee's own Al McGuire of Marquette basketball fame or the fact that the term generally means "an important sporting event, such as a championship game, preceded by several smaller games leading up to it." Besides, it isn't basketball season. (We can get back to that in March). No folks, it's football season, and that means 'Homecoming'. As in the event taking place in Greendale the week of …

Like most of you, I'll never forget where I was on 9/11/01.  It was a peaceful morning at home. The television was off and I was enjoying our regular Tuesday morning routine -getting our oldest son ready for his day at Greendale Playschool, while the younger two played quietly nearby. My husband called from work and told me, "Turn on the news right now!" As I sat there stunned, watching the events unfold, I remember looking over at our five-month old baby daughter and thinking to myself, "What kind of crazy world have we brought these kids into?"  Becoming a parent had certainly given me a …

How fitting that on the day most local kids went back to class, temperatures rose into the low 90's accompanied by high humidity. If the weather forecast is right, it will stay that way right into the weekend, plummeting just in time for the actual Labor Day holiday. It's as if Summer is telling us: this is it - take it or leave it. I won't be around much longer.    As such, I was in my usual panic all last week, with that awful feeling that the summer had somehow slipped away once again, and we hadn't fully taken advantage of it. All the big plans I had for family outings back on June 9th (…

It's finally here, fellow Greendalers! If you aren't sure what IT is, take a drive through the village about 6:30 p.m. this evening. When you start to notice that there are fewer people than usual out and about - especially since Broad Street is generally a hoppin' place to be on Friday nights - take a drive south. South that is, to the southern end of Broad Steet. That my friends, is where the action is going to be tonight. Anybody who's anybody will be there. Yep, it's the first big social event of the season. The 'Boys of Fall' (a.k.a. Greendale's own Varsity Panther Football team) will be…

Here we are again, fellow Greendalers... looking forward to a weekend of fun in the village celebrating all the great things our community has to offer. Hard to believe it's already been a year since the last one, but alas it's a true sign that summer is winding down. So here's to one last hurrah before we struggle to get back into the school-year routine. I, for one, must say I am really looking forward to taking a little trip down to Broad Street for some of those sour cream and chive fries they'll be serving up at the Lions' Tent and a little free musical entertainment while I'm there. …

For the past few weeks, our youngest daughter has been dutifully counting down the days on her calendar. Every day or so, she's been checking in with me to see what the date is, just to make sure she is on track with the countdown... the one leading up to her birthday. Perplexed, I finally asked her why she is so excited about this particular birthday, which happens to be this week. As far as I could recall, we hadn't promised her any spectacular presents. I hadn't even gotten around to planning a birthday party yet (no super-mom points here). If you have a kid with a summer birthday, or …

In last week's column, you may recall, I was lamenting the end of youth baseball season in the village. Oh how I already miss the sweet sounds associated with the game - the crack of the bat, the occasional ice cream truck circling the parking lot, the slapping of ankles and necks to chase away hundreds of hungry mosquitos as the sun was setting. Ahhh.. on second thought, never mind. It's a whole new week and you know what that means! The start of the next sporting season! Yes siree, the local high school players can already be found out on the field at Gavinksi stadium and the NFL lockout is…

This is some heat wave, huh? You know it's bad when you hear that in the neighboring 'Big City,' thieves are now stealing window air conditioning units to sell on the street (that would be Milwaukee, not Greenfield, in case you're wondering - fortunately the problem isn't THAT close to our little Utopia). No, here in the village, those folks without A/C find more neighborly ways of dealing with the hot weather. For example, our house has become THE place to be over the last few days, especially for those friends of our kids who don't have central air. That's fine by me, although it is …

It's sometimes interesting the things you notice when you go for a walk instead of taking the car. I've been trying to get back in the habit of walking more lately, and fortunately have two daughters who are generally willing to tag along, especially if it involves a fun stop along the way. For example, a chance to play with Cleo the cat and Pearl the dog at Caesars Pets on Broad Street or a visit to Walgreen's (which just happens to be conveniently located along the route from our house to the village). The steep price of today's bubblegum might explain why I no longer have spare change in …

Well, it was bound to happen, folks. The Fourth of July holiday is officially over and summer is finally in full-swing (how 'bout we bottle a wee bit of this warm weather for one of those not-so-hot days six months from now)?! Anyway, what I'm talking about actually started creeping up on me BEFORE Independence Day, but I chose to ignore them by throwing them in the junk mail pile or hitting 'delete' to the offending emails. Unfortunately, they are starting to get too numerous to ignore. If you are a parent, you probably know what I am talking about - those ever-earlier arriving 'Back to …

With summer well under-way, (at least according to the calendar) we recently embarked on our annual week long camping trip 'Up North.' It's something everyone in our family always looks forward to, for various reasons. My husband grew up in Greendale, so our children experience many of the things he did as a kid on a regular basis. I am originally from 'outside the bubble' however, so although I am a happy transplant, I really enjoy having the chance to take our kids to the area where I grew up. Every June we load up the mini-van and make the six hour trek to Hayward to partake in a little …

If you're like me, you get a kick out of reading the interesting sayings businesses post on those changeable signs at their establishments.  There aren't too many places like this in Greendale, unless you count the ones at the middle and high schools. You've probably noticed that whoever is in charge of those particular signs tends to stick to school-related business, so I find I must generally drive outside the village to enjoy any marquee humor. If you ever drove past the Corner Club Bar on 43rd and Grange, you knew you'd be in for an interesting sign, that is, up until a couple years ago …

It's been just over a week since summer vacation started for kids here in Greendale.  In that short span of time, the black hole that is normally contained in my clothes dryer seems to have escaped and is threatening to overtake my whole house. I have to admit that perhaps I am not the most organized mom, which is apparently one of those genetic traits that has passed on to my children. However, with four kids in a multitude of activities, I think I have a bit of an excuse. My husband on the other hand is very organized - with his own things that is -  but alas the kids didn't get any of …

My last column focused on getting ready for summer vacation. But I was getting ahead of myself. There are a few things I need to take care of before that final school bell rings next week. Such as, saying good-bye to the wonderful folks who spent all those days teaching, mentoring, counseling and comforting those little darlings of ours over the past school year. I always make a point to thank the kids' teachers at the end of each school year with a little token of appreciation, whether it be a small gift or a handmade card one of my children has made. When the kids were younger, I would ask …

Just the other day, my 12-year old son asked me how many more days of school there are until summer vacation. I paused, looked at the calendar and told him that there was just over three weeks left. I smiled, waiting for the enthusiastic response I was sure he would have. Instead, I was met with a groan and an eye-roll, "Three weeks! I'm never gonna' make it!" he said before trudging off in despair. Ahh, how differently parents and kids see the end of May and the start of June! It's a time of year that brings big changes for both. Not only does it signal warmer weather (hopefully) and a more …

You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘cooler near the lake’, as in local meteorological weather-speak. But what I want to know is if our little village is considered ‘near the lake’ or not? As far as I can tell, Greendale seems to fall on some magic line dividing inland from lakeside as in ”today we will see highs in the 80’s if you live in Waukesha, but it will only reach 60 degrees in Saint Francis.“ As a mom, I am one of those people who takes watching the local forecast very seriously. After all, I need to know how to dress four kids as they head out the door each day. Or more accurately, …

So, fellow Greendalers, how was your week? Things were pretty quiet on the home front, but what a week it was around the rest of the world, huh? Having worked in the business, I have to admit I’m a bit of a news junkie. And boy was there ever a lot to read about and watch - reporters were definitely earning their frequent flyer miles! First there were the tragic photos and stories about the record-setting tornados that struck the southern states, followed by the lavish wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton over in England (Yes, believe it or not, that really was just last week - seems …

The Greendale schools are officially on Spring Break this week, so I don’t have my usual angle to write about. But being the creative, fun parent (that I like to think I am), I decided to round up my own kids and see what kind of adventures we could have around the village on our stay-cation. First off, we decided… or as they might put it, I bribed them… into heading over to Southridge Mall to check out the exciting new developments underway. Sure enough, you could clearly see big piles of dirt and torn up pavement on the south end of the mall parking lot adjacent to Grange Avenue where our …

Even when I’m not writing this column, I’ll admit I spend a fair amount of time on the computer (just ask my husband or kids… in a one computer household, computer time is definitely at a premium). I imagine many of you fit this profile as well, so here’s a reminder about a little contest that will make you feel good and benefit our community at the same time. The Greendale High School marching band needs new uniforms and you could help buy them! Maybe you’ve heard about this little contest being run by WaterStone Bank?  Well, the contest is still in full-swing until April 30th and our own …

If you caught my column last week, you know I was pondering a few things. Well, a week later, I’m still pondering…. This time one of the things making me wonder is why a person can’t find a toothbrush holder made for more than four toothbrushes? I realize the average U.S. family has four people, but that doesn’t mean all of us are average. I grew up in a family of six and I know for a fact we had a toothbrush holder mounted to the wall in our bathroom with a slot for each. Now that I have a family of my own, also numbering six, I have searched high and low for the better part of a year (…