Tag Archives: parenthood
An Open Letter To My Almost-Four-Year-Old on the Day She Almost Made Me Lose It
Dear C, I won’t mince words. You made me angry today. I hadn’t been home for five minutes after a frustrating day at work when you started whining. You wanted candy and Daddy had already told you repeatedly that you couldn’t have it because you had already had an overly-sweetened weekend. The instant I walked […]
It’s All In the Timing
I learn new things every day. For instance, today I learned that we have not yet reached that point where we can laugh about that penny she accidentally swallowed last August. Nope. Definitely not a thing to bring up jocularly while playing the Sheriff Callie matching game. Duly noted.
Chores of the Childless
I have heard it said before that having a baby changes everything. I knew this was true when I found myself incredibly grateful to be able to sleep in until 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Pre-parent me would have died a little inside if someone had told her that there would come a day […]
Eating the Elephant
For a long time now, I’ve likened writing to therapy. It’s a cheap way to get my thoughts in a row, to temper the negativity of my life with the positivity. Through writing, I’ve learned new things about myself that I otherwise might not have ever uncovered. I’ve analyzed problems and worked through complicated, conflicted emotions. Writing […]
12 Ways to Say “Thanks” to Mom This Mother’s Day
So, the other day I was trying to explain to C the significance of Mother’s Day since this is the first year she’s actually kind of aware of this, the High Holy Day of maternal sacrifice. I told her that it’s a day when we think about how much we love our moms and thank […]
To Miss C on Her Third Birthday
Dear Cee, Happy birthday, my girl. Today, you’re three. You’re also sick. Like, 103°-fever sick. We had planned for weeks to take you to the zoo today to celebrate your arrival to the World of Three, but instead we’re going to take you to the doctor. We’re also pretending that I’m staying home from work because […]
Pushing
The countdown has begun: C will be three in only about two and a half weeks. Sometimes I look through the archives of my blog to revisit all the things we’ve been through together. I remember when I saw her shimmy-shake across the screen for the very first time. I remember seeing her heel slide across my […]
Threading the Needle
This evening I was in C’s room with my sewing box. She has a pile of clothes that have needed to be mended for awhile, and since I was off work today because of the snow we got last night, I figured today was the day that I would finally get to this task. C […]
Seven Valentines That Will Put You in the Mood For Love
Ahhhhh, can you feel it? Love is in the air. Or perhaps that is the sickly sweet smell of grapes that your child left behind the sofa three weeks ago. …. … …. OK, that’s totally what it was. Moving on. Valentine’s Day is less than a week away, and if you’re anything like me, […]
Your toddler doesn’t care if you’re on your period, and here’s why you shouldn’t either.
Of all the character traits that don’t serve me well as a parent, my reluctance to take myself less seriously is probably the worst. I had had a pretty crappy day. I overslept a few minutes, I ran into traffic on my way to work, and within an hour, I could tell that it was going to take […]
The Waiting 