I came home the other day to find underwear hanging in the carport.

We did not host a block party gone wild.

In our household, we do not stand on formality.

Our design style is what you might call transitional eclectic — as in, the stuff we’ve collected over the years refreshed by an occasional purchase (after the children destroyed our first sofa, for example).

We don’t host fancy dinner parties. We have barbecues.

We are not fussy about cleaning — to put it mildly.

Like a lot of other people, we took a road trip — and dealt with lots of snow — over spring break.

It wasn’t a long vacation, just an extended weekend in Kansas City to take in some NCAA tournament games, visit with family and eat lots of food.

You may recall my battles with school projects, but I’m here to report some good news:

My printer is working (*duck for lightning strike*).

I have successfully downloaded photos AND VIDEOS from my phone.

My daughter and I closed down the library one recent Friday night.

We know how to party.

Actually, a certain slim, attractive amateur sleuth, known to zip around River Heights in her blue roadster, is to blame.

We had run into my good friend Jodi Heckel, whose daughter couldn’t wait to share her latest literary love: Nancy Drew.

This is a companion post to the Nancy Drew column in Tuesday's (Feb. 4) News-Gazette.

As fun as they are, Nancy Drew’s adventures don’t necessarily stack up as great literature.

By now you’re probably all tired of hearing about this supposed breezeway project, but it's finally finished. And it’s fabulous.

There are plenty of photos below, but first a quick review:

Repeat after me: School projects are fun. School projects are educational. School projects can be great family experiences if your parents are organized, proficient with a sewing machine and technically savvy.

I think you can see where this is going.

Our children are pros at Christmas lists.

As Friday's terrible news unfolded in Connecticut, I tried like the rest of the world to make some sense of it. And I failed.

Yes, I thought, as each person conveyed their horror, sadness, and desire to hold their children and wrap them in a bubble.

Yes, I thought, as people railed against those who believe any form of gun restrictions are unconstitutional.