harriedmom.com

Right this way, please! Join the tour. School's out and this harried mom is leading you on a fun-filled summer vacation. Only the second official day of summer vacation and we've already gone bowling, visited the Intrepid Museum in NY, and enjoyed afternoon tea at a local spot full of breakable fine china. See, even if rain is washing away our beach plans, this mom comes through. Next stop, my closet to dig out the old tap shoes from my dancing days. Soon, I'll be tapping, filling the summer hours any way I can.

Just spent three hours of my precious free time at a Brownie leader training workshop. Strange experience, to be sure. A big sign called the "Kaper Chart" was featured today. Caper with a "c" can mean an illegal act, to leap about, or that salty little berry used as relish, often with salmon. But, Kaper? Mispelled, no. It's a Girl Scout word. Yep, the Girl Scouts have a language. I'll learn more when I return next week for more lessons from the kultlike trainers. Funny, of all the things they talked about today, I only remember "Kaper Chart."

Family movie night here and we all just watched "Nanny McPhee." Seven ill-behaved children become model tykes when the toothsome Nanny McPhee takes charge. Clever script by Emma Thompson (except for the silly food fight scene), who plays the wart-ridden title character. Her hag appearance changes as the children learn to say please, thank you and how to finally behave. Nanny McPhee becomes radiant and wartless. My kids are polite and fairly well behaved and I'm changing every day, too. Just not into a svelte movie star. My shoulders stoop with fatigue, the hair is rarely brushed, and these hips gained a few inches during labor. No warts, though. That's something.