The Mergenthaler Family

 Ricky and Avery got married in Gilbert, Arizona on August 14. Now that we have travelled across the country and back, and the kids are settling into back-to-school routines, people have been asking, "How was the wedding?" My honest answer: "More fun than I thought it would be." Don't take this negatively. Weddings are meant to be a celebration, but no party simply happens without intentional, thoughtful planning. Of course, some details fall through the cracks, mishaps occur, and some things don't go according to plan, but that's due to the size of the task. Family and friends need to be invited (don't forget anybody!), food and decorations are organized (is it what we want?), and travel arrangements are made (how many cancellations and delays can we endure?). All kinds of topics are addressed: photography, flowers, weather, technology, coordinating formalwear, gifts, paperwork, time. All of these float around in our brains and seek assessment, cali...

 Happy August! If somebody played the word association game with me and asked me to list my first thoughts associated with August, they’d be: 1) back to school, and 2) summer transitioning to fall. I’d consider related back-to-school habits: shopping for clothes and shoes, planning outfits, checking school supply lists, comparing schedules, and anticipating fresh starts. I’d prepare for our lush green lawn to fade and my potted plants to bloom their last bursts of color before turning brown from frost exposure. I’d want to take in breathtaking sunsets on long evening walks, wear hoodies with shorts and socks with sandals, wake to misty mornings and rainy days punctuated with brilliant sunshine. Even though I think of these happy things associated with August, I also have some less delightful summer-fall memories. It’s interesting how our brains connect memories to seasons and holidays. August means all of the lovely things I listed above, but I also have some less-delightful memori...

  Dear Children, The other day, we were talking about superpowers. One of you said you’d like to change your preferred super power (if you ever had one) from flying to conversing with animals. Your brother and I didn’t think that was much of a superpower. “What do you think they would say?” We argued. “Animals don’t think the same things we think. They only care about food and shelter.” Of course, we were oversimplifying to make a point because it’s true that our pets do love us in their own way, and a lot of animals do have incredible memories and problem-solving strategies. “But,” we persisted, “Do you think they are really thinking what we think they’re thinking? Their thoughts are what  we  say their thoughts are. We interpret their behaviors based on what we think we would feel if we were them.” We do the same with babies and toddlers. One delightful pastime that has emerged in our family group chat is captioning cute pictures of the grandson. He’s adorable, and he m...