I don’t remember how old I was. I do remember the internal struggle between a little girl who was growing up and a bigger girl who intrinsically knew that growing up also meant growing away. I battled with my decision for days. Part of me wanted to hold on. Part of me wanted to let […]
Four Simple Ways to Make Losing Baby Teeth Extra Special (Tooth Fairy Optional)
The ProNamel® brand has compensated me in connection with statements made in this post. He stands in the outfield, mitt at the ready, while his sister and I sit on a blanket in the grass a short distance away. It’s a beautiful, sunny day: perfect for baseball. I dole out crackers and point out […]
Wasn’t It Just Yesterday?
I sit on a swing at my favorite park and glance to my left at the playground equipment. As my eyes focus on my oldest it dawns on me what I’m seeing, what I’ve been seeing since we arrived over an hour ago. He is perched above the monkey bars, surveying the neighborhood from close […]
The Lie Every Parent Wants to Believe
I stand in your bedroom doorway as tears create rivulets down my cheeks, pooling on my chin for a millisecond before splashing onto my shirt. You are sound asleep, curled on your side facing the wall. The Lie Every Parent Wants to Believe I sneak across the wood floor and lay beside you, on top of the […]
Four Words That Put Motherhood in Perspective
The four words are said after five minutes that feel like five hours. The two year old, the four year old, and I are at the six year old’s school to pick him up for a field trip. I’ve told the two year old she can walk if she stays with me, but willpower […]
To Samuel, On Your Fifth Birthday
Dear Samuel, This has been a year of transition for you. Last summer I was pretty nervous about how things would go when you started preschool in the fall. You’d done a lot of growing during ‘Mommy School’ and then the fun school you spent an hour at a couple of times each week, but […]
Week 46: So Long, Pacifier!
I’ve been dreading it for months. Actually, that’s not true. I’ve been dreading it for years. The taking away of the pacifier. So Long, Pacifier! As time has gone on and Annelise has gotten older and older, I’ve known we need to bite the bullet sooner rather than later. She’ll be three in the spring, […]
4 things that are completely different from when I was a kid
Sometimes I look at my kids sitting in the living room, playing Minecraft on the iPad, and I think back on how much has changed since I was a child. Wouldn’t it be fun to take our kids back to those days, just so they could see, first hand, how different things were? I don’t […]
Week 37: Gone Baby Gone
If this is your first time joining me for the Keeping It Real Challenge, click here to find out what it’s all about. Week 37: Gone Baby Gone I realized something this week. It’s a realization that’s been coming all summer, but it finally crystallized this week. I’ll back up a bit. Every spring since […]
To Eli, on your sixth birthday
Dear Eli, I’ve noticed something happening in the past couple of months. It started one sunny day…