Today is the first day of school, and I have a lot of…feelings. It’s nothing new, of course. Parents always experience an avalanche of emotions on this big day, and they range from anxiety to excitement, sadness to elation. I’m no different, though maybe a little more neurotic. But this year, I don’t know…it feels […]
At What Age Do Kids Officially Think Their Moms Are Embarrassing?
“Mom, my friends think kisses are kind of embarrassing.” That was the opening statement lobbed at me by my 7-year-old son the other night after bathtime. I laughed a little and asked, “Really? Whose kisses do they think are embarrassing?” “Their moms’. You know, when their moms kiss them.” I waited for the follow-up, expecting […]
RIP Nap Time—I’ll Miss You
The good things in life never last. Sometimes it seems like the more amazing they are, the more fleeting they are. You do your best to enjoy them, but (to bring in another cliché), you never truly know what you’ve got till it’s gone. That’s why, with a heavy heart, I’m taking a moment to […]
Why Milestones Are So Bittersweet
Why is my baby not a baby anymore? This is a question that I ask myself every day—no joke. And I ask it not just about my toddler but also about my 5-year-old, who has been nowhere near a baby for a really long time. So that’s why my first response wasn’t excitement when my […]
You Know You’re a Toddler Mom When…
When you’re a toddler mom, what is there to say, really? Well, a lot. Because toddlers are…a lot. They’re tiny, they’re terrific and they’re a ton of fun. They also may or may not be feral. There’s something that happens to our precious babies around the 13-month mark that makes us scratch our heads […]
Little Miss Independent Made Mommy Cry
Well, to my credit, I didn’t actually cry…but I came close. I took my 13-month-old daughter to a mommy-and-me music class last Thursday. We had taken one in the spring, and it was such a lovely bonding time—just the two of us, without big brother siphoning off any of the attention. […]
Holy Crap, I Have a Toddler
I recently asked the moms on my Facebook page how much longer I could refer to my baby as my baby. When my daughter hit the 11-month mark, I started to get e-mails from baby companies saying that toddlerhood was here, and I balked, saying that it was absolutely not and that I wanted […]
To My Little Loves on July 4th: Don't Get Any Ideas
It’s the Fourth of July weekend, and we’re having fun, aren’t we? We’re making red, white and blue cupcakes. We’re going to barbecues and fireworks displays. You’re wearing star-spangled outfits because I just can’t help myself. And we’ve been learning about the significance of the holiday, which is just as important […]
The First Six Months: Well, That Went Fast!
You know how when you were a kid, the days seemed to last forever? And a year? You felt like you’d never get to the end of it. I’m not sure how this was possible since the mechanics of time obviously haven’t changed and we were all on the hamster wheel […]
Running with Knives (Yes, Knives)
Yesterday, my 3-year-old made himself toast. He was hungry, so he opened the fridge, got out the raisin bread, popped it in the toaster, and then slathered butter all over the hot bread. When I tried to help him, he insisted that he could do it by himself. I was so proud, I felt […]